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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE 
EARLY CHURCH. 



CHARACTERISTICS OF THE 
EARLY CHURCH. 



BY 

Rev. J. J. BURKE, 

Author of "Reasonableness of Catholic Ceremonies and Practices" 



BALTIMORE: 

JOHN MURPHY COMPANY. 

1899. 









38847 



Copyright, 1899, by Rev. J. J. Burke. 



TWOQUi-w „ ^uiilVEa 







Imprimatur 



* James Cardinal Gibbons, 

Archbishop of Baltimore. 



Approbation of Bishop Spalding. 



Peoria, III., May 23, 1899. 

My Dear Father Burke: — 

I have examined your little volume on the early Christian 
life and I feel confident that it will do good. Whatever helps 
to make us realize and love the life of Our Divine Lord and of 
His apostles and early disciples, renders us the highest and 
most important service. Your efforts will, I trust, contribute 
to this end, and thereby enlighten and comfort many. 

Very sincerely yours, 

HE* J. L. Spalding, 

Bishop of Peoria. 



Letter of Commendation from the President 
of St. Francis' Seminary. 



St. Francis, Wis., May 7, 1899. 
Dear Father Burke: — 

I read your manuscript on the Characteristics of the Early 
Church and must say that I consider it a very valuable addition 
to our Catholic literature. It is calculated to do good to our 
people and to all who earnestly seek the truth. 

Wishing you God's blessing for your new work and all your 
future undertakings, I remain 

Yours sincerely, 

J. Kainer, 

Prest. Sem. St. Francis. 



CONTENTS. 



Page. 

Preface, xiii 

Chapter I. The Propagation of the Early Church, 1 

1. During reign of Tiberius Christ appeared, - 1 

2. Apostles were Jews — St. Paul, 5 

3. St. Peter, - 7 

4. Growth of Church in Spain, 8 

5. " " " " France, ... 8 

6. " " " " Britain, - - - - 9 

7. " " " " Ireland, ... 9 

8. Conversion of Constantine, 10 

9. Early Church and Catholic Church identical, 11 

Chapter II. The Constitution of the Early 

Church, -.*... 12 

10. The hierarchy, 12 

11. The pope the external bond of union, - - 14 

12. Bishop from episcopus — overseer, 14 

13. Manner of choosing bishops in the early church, 15 

14. Priest ranks next to bishop, - - - - 16 

15. Deacons, sub-deacons, minor orders, - - - 18 

16. History proves existence of hierarchy in primi- 

tive church, ------ 18 

17. Christ reigns in His church, 19 

vii 



Vlll CONTENTS. 

Page. 
Chapter III. The Fathers and Writers of the 

Early Church, 20 

18. Barnabas, Hermas and Clement, 20 

19. The Apostolic Constitutions, - 23 

20. The Apostolic Canons, 24 

21. Ignatius, Poly carp and Justin, - 24 

22. Tertullian, Origen and Cyprian, - - - 26 

23. Athanasius, Ambrose and Basil, - - 29 

24. Chrysostom, Augustine and Cyril, 34 

Chapter IV. The Teachings of the Early 

Church, 37 

25. The Church and the Bible, - 38 

26. The Sacraments, 41 

27. Sacramentals, - - - - - - 49 

28. Other Characteristic Catholic Doctrines, - 51 

Chapter V. The Liturgy of the Early Church, 56 

29. The Mass the center of Worship, 56 

30. Missa Catechumenorum et Fidelium, 57 

31. Ancient liturgies agree on principal doctrines, 59 

32. The liturgy of St. James, - - - - - 59 

33. The liturgy of St. Mark, .... 60 

34. The liturgy of St. Peter, 62 

35. Legem credendi lex statuit supplicandi, - 64 

Chapter VI. The Catacombs and the Early 

Church, 65 

36. Sixty different catacombs around Kome, - 65 

37. Origin of catacombs, 66 

38. Catacombs during persecutions, - 67 



CONTENTS. IX 

Page. 

39. Koman catacombs and Catholic teachings, - 69 

40. Paintings, - - 70 

41. Christian inscriptions, 72 

42. Catacomb of St. Callixtus, - - - - 73 

Chapter VII. The Creeds of the Early Church, 74 

43. The Apostles' Creed, 74 

44. The Nicene Creed, 76 

45. The Constantinopolitan Creed, 77 

46. Both of these are founded on the Apostles' Creed, 78 

47. The Athanasian Creed, 79 

Chapter VIII. The Councils of the Early 

Church. 83 

48. The Council of Jerusalem in the year 51, - 83 

49. The first general Council at Nice, 325, - - 84 

50. The second general Council at Constantinople, 

381, - 85 

51. The third general Council at Ephesus, 431, - 86 

52. The fourth general Council at Chalcedon, 451, 89 

53. All these Councils were convoked or approved 

by the pope, 90 

Chapter IX. The Trials of the Early Church, 92 

I. 

54. The internal trials — heresies, 92 

55. Gnosticism — Cerinthians, Ebionites, Docetse, - 92 

56. St. John's Gospel a refutation of these heresies, 95 

57. The Montanists, 95 

58. Manichseism, -- 96 

59. Novatianism, 96 



CONTENTS. 



Page. 

60. Samosatianism, --97 

61. Donatism, -- 97 

62. Arianism, -- 98 

63. Pelagianism, -- 99 

64. Nestorianism, ------- 100 

65. Eutychianism, 100 

II. 

66. The external trials — persecutions — the Jews the 

first persecutors, 101 

67. Persecution under Nero, - 102 
Domitian, - - - - 102 
Trajan, - - - - 103 
Adrian, - - - - 103 
Marcus Aurelius, - - 104 
Septimius Severus, - - 105 
Maximin, - 105 
Decius, - 106 
Valerian, 107 
Diocletian, - 107 

77. The conversion of the Emperor Constantine, in 
the beginning of the 4th Century, practically 

ended persecutions, - - 109 



68. 


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69. 


It i< 


70. 


it a 


71. 


M 11 


72. 


a a 


73. 


ti it 


74. 


a ti 


75. 


« it 


76. 


« a 



Chapter X. The Triumphs or the Early Church, 110 



78. Triumphs in her pontiffs, 110 

79. St. Peter— the first pope, - - - - 111 

80. St. Linus — the second, Ill 

81. St. Cletus — the third pope — Clement — Anacletus, 112 

82. St. Leo the Great, 440 to 461 A. D., - - 113 N 



CONTENTS. XI 

Page. 
II. 

83. Triumphs in her Martyrs, ... - 116 

84. St. Stephen, the first Martyr, - - - 116 

85. St. Domatilla, 118 

86. St. Eustachius, 119 

87. St. Felicitas, 123 

88. St. Lawrence, 124 

89. St. Cecilia, 125 

90. St. Agnes, 126 

91. St. Pancratius, 127 

92. Kecapitulation, - - - - " - - 128 



PREFACE. 



All admit that the Christians of the first five centu- 
ries believed and practiced the true religion of Jesus 
Christ, pure and undefiled. 

What a blessing to be so intimately connected with 
the Author of all truth and the Source of all grace ! 

What a privilege to learn the truths of salvation 
from the lips of the Saviour and His immediate 
disciples ! 

When the Saviour departed hence He left a repre- 
sentative. This representative, His church, He com- 
manded all to hear. " He that heareth you heareth 
Me" (Luke x., 16). This representative was to con- 
tinue to the end of time. " Behold, I am with you 
all days " (Matt, xxviii., 20), and was to be taught all 
truth by the Holy Ghost. " When he the spirit of 
truth is come he will teach you all truth" (John 
xvi., 13). 

Consequently, the true church of to-day must teach 
the same doctrines taught by Jesus Christ and the 
church of the early ages of Christianity. 

xiii 



XIV PREFACE. 

Certain non-Catholics are just now making strong 
claims to Apostolic succession. 

On this account many are anxious to study the 
teachings and practices of the early church. 

Those unable to consult the writings of the Fathers 
in the original, or such works as Waterworth's Faith of 
Catholics and reliable church histories will, perhaps, 
be interested in this brief study of early Christian life. 
It will, it is hoped, give those not having leisure to 
consult more bulky volumes, a fair idea of the pro- 
pagation, organization, writers, teachings, trials and 
triumphs of the early church. 

The primary object, however, of the following pages 
is to show as briefly and clearly as possible that the 
teachings and practices of the Catholic Church of 
to-day are identical with those of the Early Church. 

Bloomington, III., June, 1899. 



CHARACTERISTICS OF THE 
EARLY CHURCH. 



CHAPTER I. 

THE PROPAGATION OF THE EAKLY CHUKCH. 

FTS first five centuries was the golden age of 
-*• Christianity. During that time millions of 
Christians received the martyr's crown for steadfast 
belief in the teachings of Jesus Christ. 

These doctrines they learned from the authorized 
teachers of the church long before the existence and 
general diffusion of the New Testament. To form 
a just estimate of the true church of to-day we must 
know something of the early church. We gain this 
knowledge from contemporary history and from the 
New Testament. 

1. During the reign of Tiberius Csesar, there 
appeared among the oldest people of the world a 
remarkable personage, a great prophet. His words 
and acts are well known. 

That Christ really did appear in Palestine, an 
insignificant portion of the Roman Empire ; that 

1 



2 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 

He founded a society; that He chose disciples and 
for three years taught them the truths of salvation ; 
that some of His disciples wrote books — these are 
facts that all will admit. 

It is easy to see that the facts narrated in the 
four Gospels, the Acts, and the few letters of the 
Apostles are at least as true as those narrated by 
any profane historian. The most enlightened people 
in existence profess belief in the Gospel truths and 
Gospel miracles. This has been true of every age 
and of every clime. When they wrote, the facts 
narrated by the evangelists were recent. They could 
have been easily denied, if not true. But instead of 
denying them, the very Pagans and Jews show by 
their silence as well as by their words that " Indeed 
this is the Son of God, and these things narrated of 
Him are true." 

Christ redeemed us as Teacher, Priest and King. 
As teacher, by preaching His heavenly doctrine; 
as priest, by the sacrifice of the cross ; and as king, 
ruler or pastor, by giving laws and commandments. 

He gave this triple office of teacher, priest and 
pastor to the teaching body of the church, the 
Apostles and their successors, when He said, " Going 
therefore teach all nations." " Do this in commem- 
oration of me." " He that heareth you, heareth 
me." 

The society founded by Christ rapidly grew in 
numbers and importance. After His glorious 
Ascension the Apostles returned to Jerusalem and 



CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 3 

remained ten days in prayer until the coming of the 
Holy Ghost. Then they separated to preach the 
Gospel to every creature. 

St. Andrew penetrated the frozen regions of the 
north ; St. Thomas turned his face towards the east ; 
St. James dared the dangers of the west; others 
went to various portions of Europe, Asia and Africa; 
while the intrepid Peter, after laboring some time in 
Asia, entered the imperial city of the Csesars. 

At his first sermon in Jerusalem Peter converted 
three thousand persons. Paul was soon converted 
and received the mission to convert the Gentiles. 

After the Apostolic age the growth of the church 
is due principally to the bishops. St. Gregory 
Thaumaturgus is an example of this. When he 
became bishop, he found only seventeen Christians, 
and when he died there were only seventeen who 
were not Christians in his diocese. 

The most influential church of Asia was that of 
Antioch. St. Peter was the first bishop of this see, 
before he went to Rome. His successor was 
Euodius. The successor of Euodius was St. Ignatius, 
who suffered martyrdom about the year 117 A. D. 

In Syria were founded the flourishing churches of 
Seleucia, Beroea, Cyrus and Samosata, while in 
Phenicia were those of Tyre, Sidon, Berytus, Pto- 
lemais and Tripolis. 

In Asia Minor, Ephesus and Smyrna rapidly grew 
into prominence as Christian communities; as also 
did Laodicea, Colossa and Hierapolis in Phrygia. 



4 CHAEACTEEISTICS OF THE EAELY CHUECH. 

In the beginning of the second century, Pliny 
said that the superstition called Christianity was 
rapidly spreading in Bithynia. 

A Christian church was established at Edessa in 
the year 288, and in various parts of Mesopotamia 
about the beginning of the fourth century. Even in 
the island of Cyprus there were three bishops before 
the Council of Nice in 325. The first bishop of 
Alexandria was St. Mark, the Evangelist. Mark is 
sometimes called John Mark. He accompanied Paul 
and Barnabas to Antioch and Cyprus. He after- 
wards went to Rome where he labored for some time 
with the Prince of the Apostles and wrote his 
Gospel. 

St. Peter sent his disciples from Rome to found 
other churches, as his glorious successor Leo XIII. 
does at the present time. Peter sent Mark into 
Egypt and appointed him bishop of Alexandria. 

The church made such wonderful progress in 
Alexandria that the Pagans resolved to put St. Mark 
to death. This they did by cruelly dragging his 
mangled body over rough stones until he expired on 
the 25th day of April, 68 A. D. 

In the year 235 a council of the bishops of Africa 
was held and was attended by twenty bishops. 

Twenty-one years afterwards, when St. Cyprian 
was bishop of Carthage, another was held at which 
eighty-seven were present. Carthage soon became 
the principal African bishopric. 



CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 5 

Christianity grew so rapidly that in the beginning 
of the third century Tertullian said that the Chris- 
tians outnumbered the Pagans. 

2. The twelve Apostles were Jews. They were 
at first inclined to confine their labors among their 
own people. To St. Paul more than to any one man 
is the rapid propagation of the early church due. 
St. Paul before his conversion was known as Saul. 
He was born at Tarsus, in Cilicia in Western Asia 
about ten years after the Saviour's birth. According 
to the Jewish law that every male Jew should learn 
some useful trade, he learned that of tentmaker and 
for some time supported himself by his trade. 

He studied the law and the prophets, the books 
of the Old Law, at Jerusalem. Gamaliel, the most 
learned rabbi of the time, was his teacher. Saul 
belonged to the sect of Pharisees and took a leading 
part in persecuting the Christians. When St. 
Stephen, the first Christian martyr, was stoned to 
death Saul was one of the principal instigators of 
that cruel deed. Shortly afterwards he was going 
to Damascus to search for Christians in order to 
bring them before the Jewish courts when he was 
miraculously converted. 

After his conversion he was known as Paul. He 
became a most zealous promoter of Christianity, "a 
preacher and an apostle, a doctor of the Gentiles in 
faith and truth." 

About the year 45 St. Paul began his first great 
mission. He started from Antioch with Mark and 



6 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 

Barnabas. They travelled four years over land and 
sea. He established Christian churches in the 
Island of Cyprus and in many places in Asia Minor. 
He ordained priests and bishops to instruct and 
govern the new congregations. 

About the year 51 St. Paul attended the first 
Christian Council at Jerusalem. After this he set 
out on his second great missionary tour. During 
this time he spread the faith in other portions of 
Asia, Macedonia and in Greece. 

He visited Athens, the center of art, science and 
refinement. 

When the learned Athenians heard the earnest 
words of the inspired Apostle many of them believed. 
Among them was Dionysius, one of the most cele- 
brated — who, it is believed, was afterwards known 
as St. Denis, first Apostle of France. Many, how- 
ever, contend that Denis, the Areopagite, first bishop 
of Athens, and Denis of Paris were two separate 
persons. 

During the course of his third missionary tour 
St. Paul spent some time in Ephesus. He was 
arrested by the Jews and spent two years in prison 
in Cesarea and two years in Rome. Having been 
set at liberty he probably went to Spain. Returning, 
he founded many churches in Crete and other places, 
and finally, about the year 67, joined St. Peter in 
Rome. After preaching to the Pagans of Rome and 
converting many of them, he and St. Peter were 
thrown into the Mamertine prison. 



CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 7 

Finally, the time came for him to receive the crown 
of martyrdom. On the same day that Peter, the 
chief pastor, was crucified, head downwards, Paul 
was dragged from prison to the Ostian road and 
beheaded. This occurred during Nero's persecution, 
June 29, 67 A. D. 

St. Paul contributed more than any other Apostle 
to carry the faith far and wide. The clearuess of 
his logic aud the eloquence of his preaching were 
powerful in removing error and spreading truth. 

3. St. Peter, who suffered martyrdom the same 
day that St. Paul was beheaded, was believed by the 
early Christians, and his successor has always been 
believed to be the chief bishop and head of the 
Christian Church. 

After Our Lord's ascension, Peter having preached 
the Gospel in many places in Judea, Cappadocia 
and Galilee, went to Antioch and established an 
episcopal see. He remained at Antioch about seven 
years. About the year 42 he went to Rome and 
established the center of the Christian Church. St. 
Peter governed the church of Pome for twenty-five 
years. 

That the early Christians looked upon St. Peter 
as chief Pastor of the whole church may be seen 
from the following facts. After Our Lord's ascension 
he took the lead in every important matter. He 
presided at the election of Mathias to fill the place 
made vacant by the defection of Judas ; he was the 
first to address the multitude after the descent of the 



8 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 

Holy Ghost; he presided over the first Christian 
Council at Jerusalem, and his name always stands 
first in the catalogue of the Apostles, given by the 
Evangelists, thus showing that the Apostles them- 
selves acknowledged his primacy. 

St. Cyprian, in the third century, writing De 

Unitate shows clearly what the belief of the early 

church was when he says, " the primacy is given to 

Peter, that the church of Christ may be set forth as 

one." 

St. Peter established at Rome the seat of eccle- 
siastical power. Ever since his time Pome has 
been the center of Christianity. The young church, 
baptized in the blood of the great Apostles, Peter 
and Paul, grew rapidly. 

In the third century, besides her chief bishop, the 
pope, Pome had 150 priests. Other Italian cities 
could also boast of large and influential congrega- 
tions. 

4. The mustard-seed scattered by St. Paul in 
Spain grew and flourished. As early as the middle 
of the third century there were bishops at Cordova, 
Toledo, Leon, Tarragona and Elvira, having under 
their spiritual jurisdiction hundreds of priests and 
thousands of faithful followers of the Saviour. At 
the Synod of Elvira, in 306, nineteen Spanish 
bishops were present. 

5. There were flourishing churches at Lyons and 
Vienne in France in the second century. St. 
Irenseus went from Asia to France about the close 



CHAEACTEEISTICS OF THE EAELY CHUECH. 9 

of the second century, labored effectually for the 
propagation of Christianity, became bishop of Lyons 
and shed his blood for the faith in the year of Our 
Lord 202. 

The young church in France, or Gaul, grew 
rapidly, especially after the conversion of King 
Clovis in 496. 

6. The glad tidings of the Gospel reached the 
Britains at an early age. At the Council of Aries, 
in 314, the bishops of York, London and Lincoln 
were in attendance. About the middle of the fifth 
century, however, the pagan Anglo-Saxons almost 
destroyed the church in that country. The following 
century Pope Gregory the Great sent St. Augustine 
with forty missionaries to revive the faith almost 
extinguished by the Pagans. 

7. In Ireland, St. Patrick preached the truths of 
Christianity early in the fifth century. He was sent 
by Pope Celestine. His efforts were abundantly 
blessed by Heaven. In a few years the whole 
people became faithful Catholics. So numerous 
were the holy and learned men who went from Ire- 
land to convert other people, that she became known 
as the " Island of Saints.'' 

In other countries the Christian religion was 
not established until after their soil was moistened 
by the blood of many martyrs immolated to their 
false gods. But Ireland furnished a glorious excep- 
tion. Her great apostle labored undisturbed in his 
holy vocation for thirty years. He was so successful 



10 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 

in his teaching, that in thirty years he firmly laid 
the foundation of that faith which centuries of 
persecution have been unable to undermine. 

8. At the beginning of the fourth century the 
conversion of the Emperor Constantine gave peace 
to the church. The emperor requested Pope 
Sylvester to convoke the Council of Nice, the first 
general council and the first council of much 
importance since the Council of Jerusalem in the year 
51. At the Council of Nice, in the year 325, so 
numerous had the Christians become, that 318 
bishops were present. Hosius, a legate of Pope 
Sylvester, presided. Arius, who denied the Divinity 
of Christ, was condemned by this Council. 

The Council of Constantinople in 381 was the 
second general council. The next general council 
was that of Ephesus. It was convened by order of 
Pope Celestine in 431 A. D. Nearly 300 bishops 
were at this council, some say 274. The most 
important event of this council was the condemnation 
of the heretic Nestorius and the declaration of the 
doctrine that Mary is the Mother of God. Cyril of 
Alexandria presided at this council as representative 
of the pope. 

Mention is made of these councils here not only 
to show the rapid propagation of the early church, 
but also to show that the general councils of the 
primitive church were convoked by order of the 
pope just as was the last council of the Vatican in 
the nineteenth century. 



CHAEACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 11 

9. From this brief review it will be readily seen 
that the rapid propagation of early Christianity is 
an historical fact that cannot be denied, and that the 
church of the first five centuries and the Catholic 
Church of to-day are identical. For the bishop of 
Rome was head of the church then as he is at the 
present time. He convened the ecumenical councils. 
He sent Patrick, Augustine and other missionaries 
to convert the heathen. Everywhere the mission- 
aries were most successful. God blessed their labors. 
Induced by no earthly considerations, led on by the 
hope of no temporal reward, undaunted by the fear 
of ignominy, the rich and the poor, the old and the 
young, the learned and unlearned, the Jew and the 
Gentile, meekly bowed their heads to the yoke of 
Christ and followed a crucified God. When we 
remember that to follow Jesus in these early ages of 
the church was to lose everything, and often to lose 
life itself, we cannot but be lost in admiration at this 
wonderful propagation of the church, and with one 
of the early fathers exclaim : " Either the Catholic 
Church was founded by means of miracles or it was 
not. If it was, it is Divine. Because no one but 
God can perform or authorize a miracle. If it was 
not, it is Divine. Because such a rapid propagation 
of truths so repugnant to the natural inclinations of 
man would be the greatest of all miracles." 

In either case this wonderful propagation, this 
rapid growth of the early church unanswerably 
shows its Divinity. 



CHAPTER II. 
THE CONSTITUTION OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 

TTTE have considered the wonderful growth of the 
"" church. We will now examine its early organ- 
ization as an institution. Its most noticeable exterior 
characteristic is the hierarchy. 

By the hierarchy is meant the organization of 
degrees, ranks and orders among the ministers of the 
church. The hierarchy is of Divine appointment. 
For we find that various grades of dignity among 
the clergy existed even in Apostolic times. At the 
head of the clergy may be found Peter and his 
successors, the bishops of Rome. 

The clergy were divided into bishops, priests and 
deacons. 

10. The writers of the early church tell us that 
bishops have in the church the office of teacher, 
priest and ruler. By their ordinary power they 
preached, governed, ordained and administered the 
other sacraments. Priests preached, officiated at 
Mass and administered the sacraments, except Holy 
Orders and Confirmation. Deacons assisted the 
priest in his various duties: but deacons and priests 
officiated only by the authority of the bishop. 
12 



CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 13 

The order of sub-deacon and minor orders were 
added to the other orders by the church at an early 
date. 

On the banks of Genesareth Jesus Christ chose 
Peter as His vicar. As the pontiff is not omnipresent, 
Peter and the other Apostles imposed hands upon 
others as the needs of the growing church demanded ; 
and these bishops ordained priests who were given 
the same authority in their parishes as the Pope had 
over the whole world or the bishop in his diocese. 

The Apostles were to teach with the power and 
authority of God : " As the Father sent Me, I also 
send you." " Go, therefore, and teach all nations." 
This teaching was to continue to the end of time. 
" Behold I am with you all days, even to the 
consummation of the world." Since the Apostles 
were not to exist till the end of time, since they 
actually died before the consummation of the world, 
it remains as a necessary consequence that this teach- 
ing has been continued by their successors, the 
bishops and priests of the Catholic Church. 

The Apostles understood that it was by a living, 
teaching ministry this work was to be carried on. 
For we find it recorded in the fourteenth chapter of 
the Acts that, after Paul and Barnabas had been 
instructing the people of Iconium and Lystra for 
some time, they " ordained priests for them in every 
church " and then went elsewhere. 

St. Paul instructed Timothy to commend the 
things he heard from him " to faithful men who 



14 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 

shall be fit to teach others." Paul consecrated Titus 
bishop of Crete for the express purpose of ordaining 
other bishops and priests that the ministry might be 
perpetuated. 

11. That the religious society founded by the 
Saviour might have an external bond of union, He 
chose one of the Apostles who was to be its recognized 
head. This was Peter, the rock upon which He 
built His church. Christ also made Peter Shepherd 
of all nations and gave him the Keys of the King- 
dom of Heaven. 

Scripture clearly teaches that it was the will of 
God that one Supreme pastor should preside over 
His church. The usage of the Apostolic age and of 
succeeding ages confirms this teaching of Scripture. 

As bishops inherit the Apostolic authority and 
office, so the pope inherits the primacy and prero- 
gatives of Peter whose successor he is. Tertullian 
in the second century calls the bishop of Rome, 
" The bishop of bishops." St. Cyprian, who lived 
in the third century, says the episcopal see of 
Rome is "the chair of Peter, the center of ecclesi- 
astical unity, with which all bishops must be in 
communion." 

St. Paul, Ignatius, and others of the first and fol- 
lowing centuries, point out the essential division of 
the clergy into bishops, priests and deacons. 

12. The word bishop is from the Greek word 
eiTLa-KoiTo^, episcopus, which means overseer. The 
early Christians adopted the word as the title of the 



CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 15 

church dignitary who had received the highest sacred 
orders and who had the authority to rule a diocese 
as its chief pastor. 

Thus we find that St. James the Less was the first 
bishop of Jerusalem. St. Paul gave Titus and 
Timothy power to ordain priests, i. e. y he consecrated 
them bishops. 

The angels of the seven churches spoken of in the 
Apocalypse were the bishops. Each of the angels 
represented a church and was responsible for its faith 
and morals. This is the office of a bishop. 

Polycarp, the disciple of St. John, was bishop of 
Smyrna. The letters of St. Ignatius in the second 
century show that the episcopacy was established in 
his time and that he was bishop of Antioch. St. 
Irenseus was bishop of Lyons, France, in the third 
century. He says in one of his epistles that St. 
Paul at Miletus convoked " the bishops and the 
presbyters," or priests. 

The bishop in the early church, as in later times, 
was considered the successor of the Apostles. He 
received the sacrament of Holy Orders in its fullness. 
Like the Apostles he could confirm, ordain priests, 
and consecrate bishops. 

The pope is simply a bishop. But he has juris- 
diction over the whole world and all other bishops 
are in union with and subject to him as the successor 
of St. Peter. 

13. The manner of choosing bishops in the early 
church did not differ essentially from that in use at 



16 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 

the present time. As we have already seen, the first 
bishops, Matthias, Timothy, Titus and others, were 
chosen by the Apostles, some of them after lots were 
cast. St. Cyprian, in the third century, tells us that 
bishops were chosen by the vote of the people and 
judgment of the bishops of the province. In many 
cases the bishops alone chose the bishop. 

The Council of Nice, in the fourth century, decreed, 
or recommended, that a bishop be appointed by the 
bishops of the province. The metropolitan, or arch- 
bishop, had the right to confirm the choice, which 
afterwards was reserved to the pope. 

In the beginning the bishop, assisted by priests 
who lived with him, usually performed the pastoral 
duties. During the fourth and fifth centuries the 
present parochial system was formed. The bishop 
began at that time to charge each individual priest 
with the care of a particular portion of the diocese. 

14. Among holy orders that of priest ranks 
second to that of bishop. Ignatius, Tertullian, 
Origen, Cyprian and others of the first five centuries 
frequently mention the duties of the priest. From 
the very beginning he has been looked upon as the 
minister of Christ. 

Jesus Christ chose the priest that he might aid in 
the work for which He came upon earth. What a 
noble mission ! To aid Jesus Christ in saving souls, 
to offer the Eucharistic Sacrifice for them, to teach 
them the truths of salvation, to loose them from 
their sins, to pray for them, to baptize them, to 



CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 17 

minister to them, and to fill them with heavenly- 
blessings. For such a high mission did Jesus Christ 
choose the priest. 

The duties of the priest are important, his 
responsibility great. He stands at the Altar of God, 
where he has the body and blood of Christ entrusted 
to him, which he offers for the people. He is 
empowered to sit in the sacred tribunal of Penance 
and say to the penitent, " Thy sins are forgiven 
thee." 

When the young couple first start out on the 
journey of life the priest blesses their union. 
Through his ministry at the baptismal font children 
are made heirs of heaven. The priest instructs them 
and trains them to become good Christians and good 
citizens. He prepares them to receive the Bread of 
Life. He is the good Shepherd leading back the 
erring one. He prepares the dying to make their 
last journey. When dead he offers the prayers of 
the church for them. One of his principal duties is 
to offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass to God for 
the living and the dead. 

These are the duties of the priest to-day. That 
they were the duties of the priest of the early church 
a glance at the writings of the fathers of the first 
five centuries as well as the following quotations 
from the Apostolic Constitutions will show : " We 
enjoin that a bishop be ordained by three bishops, 
or at least by two. . . . But a priest, as also a 
deacon, and the rest of the clergy by one bishop ; 
2 



18 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 

but neither priest nor deacon is to ordain clerics. 
The priest is to teach, to offer (the Holy Sacrifice of 
the Mass), to baptize and bless the people ; and the 
deacon, to minister to the bishop and to the priests." 

15. Deacons constitute the third order of the 
hierarchy instituted by Our Lord. They are 
successors of the seven blameless men whom the 
Apostles selected to distribute alms and take care of 
the poor. It is the duty of the deacon " to minister 
at the altar, to baptize and to preach." His duty 
consists principally in assisting a priest at Solemn 
High Mass. 

Besides bishops, priests and deacons, the other 
grades of the hierarchy are subdeacons, acolytes, 
exorcists, readers and ostiaries. The last four of 
these are called minor orders, and the others major 
or sacred orders. 

16. If there is one thing more than another 
clearly proved by history, it is the fact that these 
various degrees or grades of dignity and authority 
existed among the ministers of the church in the 
early ages. The pope was everywhere recognized as 
head of the universal church ; while the bishop was 
recognized as head of his diocese and the clergy 
were subject to his jurisdiction. 

The uniform constitution or organization of all 
the churches in Christendom show that the episco- 
pate is of Divine institution. 

St. Ignatius, who lived at the end of the first 
and beginning of the second century, says, "Let 



CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 19 

each of you obey his bishop as Christ did His 
Father, and priests as the Apostles, and give honor 
to deacons as to God's commandments." 

The various degrees of dignity among the clergy 
form, as we have seen, what is called the hierarchy. 
At its head is the pope. His power and authority 
are spiritual and are derived from heaven. He is 
the infallible guide and ruler of Christ's kingdom 
on earth. 

17. Christ built this kingdom for Himself. In 
it He lives and reigns. Notwithstanding opposition 
and persecution, He upholds it now as He did in 
the early ages ; He carries on His work of Redemp- 
tion, he teaches His doctrine, promulgates His laws 
and administers His sacraments and means of grace 
through the hierarchy ; and this He will continue to 
do until time shall be no more. For He has prom- 
ised that the Holy Ghost shall teach His church all 
truth, and that He Himself will abide with her for- 
ever, " even to the consummation of the world." 



CHAPTER III. 

THE FATHERS AND WRITERS OF THE EARLY 

CHURCH. 

CHRISTIANITY began without the advantages 
^ of wealth, culture or position. Its first apostles 
were poor unlearned fishermen. Only three or four 
of them, Peter, James and John, were in any way 
prominent, while the name of Matthew lives chiefly 
because he wrote one of the Gospels. 

St. Paul, one of the greatest minds of any age, 
was not one of the twelve. After St. Paul, and the 
other inspired writers, the most important writers 
and fathers of the first century were : Barnabas, 
Hermas and Clement of Rome ; of the second cen- 
tury, Ignatius, Polycarp and Justin ; of the third 
century, Tertullian, Origen and Cyprian ; of the 
fourth century, Athanasius, Ambrose and Basil ; of 
the fifth century, Chrysostom, Augustine and Cyril 
of Alexandria. 

18. First Century. 

Barnabas, Hermas and Clement. 

Barnabas was a companion of St. Paul on some 
of his missionary journeys. He was born in Cyprus 
of Jewish parents. He was one of the earliest con- 
20 



CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 21 

verts, and, selling his property, gave the proceeds to 
the common Christian fund. St. Luke, in the Acts, 
calls him " a good man and full of the Holy 
Ghost." 

After PauFs conversion he and Barnabas labored 
for some time in Antioch and converted many peo- 
ple. They went from Antioch to Seleucia in Syria 
and thence to Cyprus. Everywhere their labors 
were crowned with success. While Barnabas was 
preaching at Salamis, in Syria, some Jews raised a 
mob and stoned him to death. His remains were 
found near the city with a copy of the Gospel of St. 
Matthew, which he had copied himself in Hebrew, 
on his breast. His death occurred about the year 
73 A. D., and a festival in his honor is celebrated 
by the Catholic Church each year on the 11th of 
June. 

He is known as a writer on account of an epistle 
which he wrote in Greek. There is no doubt that 
this epistle belongs to the apostolic age, and there 
seems but little doubt that it was written by Barna- 
bas, though the church never received it into the 
canon of Holy Scripture. 

The author of this epistle shows much Hebrew 
and Scriptural knowledge and endeavored to con- 
vince the Jewish converts that the ceremonies of the 
old dispensation were abolished by the New Law. 

He teaches excellent precepts of morality, empha- 
sizing particularly the virtues of humility, meek- 
ness, patience, charity and chastity. His epistle 



22 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 

shows that the first day of the week was kept holy 
in apostolic times. 

Hernias, the author of The Pastor, was a disciple 
of St. Paul. This book teaches the doctrine of Pur- 
gatory, free will and other Catholic doctrines. It is 
divided into three parts, Visions, Commandments 
and Parables. 

Hermas calls the book Pastor, or Shepherd, from 
the angel who appeared to him as a shepherd and 
whose teachings he professes to write. He assigns 
to every one an angel guardian, and a devil who is 
n tempter ; recommends prayers, almsgiving and 
other good works ; approves a state of continency, 
and speaks of the necessity of confession. 

Clement of Borne is, after the inspired writers, the 
most important of the ecclesiastical writers of the 
first century. He wrote several epistles, of which 
the two epistles to the Corinthians are the best known. 
He was bishop of Pome from 91 to 100 A. D., suc- 
ceeding St. Cletus, the successor of St. Linus who 
succeeded St. Peter, the first Pope. He received a 
martyr's crown during the third general persecution, 
under Trajan, 100 A. D. His festival is celebrated 
November 23. 

The faithful at Corinth seemed to be continually 
in trouble. St. Paul in his time had to settle some 
disputes among them. A division arose among 
them again about the year 96. St. John, the apos- 
tle, was still living ; but it devolved upon Clement, 
the bishop of Rome, as successor of St. Peter and 



CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 23 

head of the church, to settle the dispute He wrote 
to them his epistle which Eusebius calls "an admir- 
able work." He laments that the Corinthians, who 
formerly were humble and sincere Christians, had 
fallen into pride, envy and contentions ; and he ex- 
horts them to lay aside all pride and anger. He 
reminds them that Christ is theirs who are humble, 
not theirs who are proud. " Let your children/ 7 he 
says, " be brought up in the instruction of the Lord, 
and learn how great a power humility has with God, 
how much a pure and holy charity avails with Him, 
and how excellent and great His fear is." 

He also speaks to them of the resurrection. The 
second Epistle of St. Clement to the Coriuthiaus 
which remains is fragmentary and is rather a sermon 
than an epistle. In it he exhorts the faithful to 
despise this world and its false enjoyments and to 
have heavenly joys always in their thoughts. He 
lays down the necessity of subduing our passions 
as the foundation of a Christian life. 

It has been claimed that St. Clement was the 
author of the Apostolic Constitutions and the Apos- 
tolic Canons. While they, perhaps, owe their origin 
to a later date, a word about them here will not be 
inappropriate. 

19. The Apostolic Constitutions are a collection 
of regulations consisting of eight books. Though 
they contain many errors, they are valuable sources 
of information on many points of discipline and 
liturgy. 



24 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 

They deal with the proper behavior of Christians, 
with the officers and service of the church. They 
also treat of public worship, of the administration 
of the sacraments and the duties of the clergy. 

20. The Apostolic Canons are at the end of the 
last book of the Apostolic Constitutions. They 
consist of eighty-five rules to guide the clergy. In 
them we find the various degrees of the hierarchy — 
bishops, priests and deacons. They forbid the mar- 
riage of bishops, priests or deacons. They speak of 
altars, of sacrifice, and regulate the administration 
of Holy Eucharist and Penance. They clearly show 
what the Christians of the first and following centu- 
ries believed to be the discipline established by the 
Apostles. 

Second Century. 
21. Ignatius, Polycarp and Justin. 

Ignatius was a disciple of St. John and was the 
third bishop of Antioch. It is believed that he was 
the child embraced by the Saviour when He said, 
" Unless you become as little children you shall not 
enter the kingdom of heaven." He suffered mar- 
tyrdom about the year 117 A. D. He is, perhaps, 
the most interesting personage of the second century. 
He is the reputed author of many works, of which 
only seven epistles are considered genuine. 

These seven epistles of St. Ignatius refute the 
errors of his day ; use no testimony but the scrip- 



CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 25 

ture ; speak of the Apostolic gifts still flourishing in 
the church ; and are quoted by later writers as the 
work of Ignatius. 

When Ignatius was arrested he was taken to Rome 
to be thrown to beasts in the Flavian amphitheater. 
On the way he visited with Polycarp, bishop of 
Smyrna. Here he wrote four of his letters, those to 
Ephesus, Magnesia, Tralles and Rome. In his let- 
ter to Rome he asked the Christians not to use any 
influence to prevent his martyrdom. 

His letters show his great zeal, his firm faith and 
fervent devotion to his Saviour. They also show the 
organization of the church at that early day. In 
them we see the various degrees of the clergy. 
Bishops are clearly distinguished from priests and 
priests from deacons. " Hearken to your bishops," 
he says, " and to the priesthood and to the deacons." 

Polycarp, as well as Ignatius, was a disciple of 
St. John the Evangelist. He became the bishop of 
Smyrna and was martyred about the year 169 A. D. 
Polycarp's epistle to the Philippians is a valuable 
document, showing as it does the doctrine of the 
Holy Eucharist and that of Holy Orders. 

St. Irenseus says of this epistle, u And Polycarp 
not only instructed by the Apostles, and associated 
with many of those who saw our Lord, but also made 
bishop of Smyrna, in Asia, by the Apostles whom 

we ourselves saw in our early age There 

exists a perfect epistle of Polycarp, written to the 
Philippians, from which those who wish, and who 



26 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 

have regard for their salvation, may learn the quality 
of his faith, and the preaching of truth." 

Polycarp exhorts his readers to avoid heresy and 
avarice and to follow the example of the martyr 
Ignatius and others. Polycarp was a pure, true, 
sincere Christian, a humble follower of the Master. 

Justin, one of the greatest writers of the second 
century, was born in Samaria in 105, and suffered 
martyrdom at Kome in 166 A. D. When about 30 
years of age he was converted to Christianity. 
About the year 145 he wrote a polemical work 
against heretics, especially against Marcion. 

His magnificent apology addressed to Antoninus 
Pius is the most perfect specimen of those early sim- 
ple but eloquent defenses of Christianity. 

He wrote another apology addressed to Marcus 
Aurelius. He was a distinguished pagan philoso- 
pher in his younger days, who vainly sought the 
truth in the various systems of Greek philosophy. 
Finally, his attention was attracted to Christianity. 
Having become a Christian, his spirit of truth, of 
honesty, of uprightness, of faith, merited for him the 
martyr's crown. 

Third Century. 

22. Tertullian, Origen and Cyprian. 

Tertullian (Quintus Septimius Florens Tertulli- 
anus), was a noted controversialist of the third cen- 
tury. He was born of pagan parents at Carthage 



CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 27 

about the year 150 and died about the year 220 
A. D. He was a learned lawyer who, about the 
year 190, was converted to Christianity and became 
a priest. He preached at Carthage, Rome and other 
places, and afterwards joined the Montanists, a sect 
of heretics. Notwithstanding his fall into error, his 
works are an authority on the teaching of the early 
church. 

He was a fearless champion of the church against 
Jews and pagans. His "Apologeticus " is one of 
the best defenses of the church against the pagans. 
Among his other writings may be mentioned 
" Against the Jews," " Against Herrnogenes," in 
which he shows that matter is not eternal, but crea- 
ted by God ; " On Baptism "; " On The Resurrec- 
tion "; in all of these and in about twenty other 
books we see that the teaching of the early church 
did not differ materially from that of the Catholic 
Church of to-day. Tertullian was a man of great 
ability, persuasive eloquence and deep learning. 

Origen, on account of his great industry, was 
called "The man of iron." He was born in Alex- 
andria about the year 185 and died from the effects 
of imprisonment, at Tyre, in the year 249. 

When but 1 8 years of age he succeeded Clement 
of Alexandria in the professors' chair, and, although 
he fell into some errors, lie won for himself immortal 
fame for maintaining the purity of, and explaining 
the Scriptures. 

In the year 212, by his learning and eloquence, 



28 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 

he converted Ambrose, who afterwards became a 
great writer and doctor of the church. 

Some of the writings of Origen were philosoph- 
ical, some controversial and some practical. Many 
of them are lost. Those that remain are, " On 
Prayer," " On Principles," " On Martyrdom," 
" Against Celsus," and the Hexapla and Octapla. 
The Hexapla was an edition of the Old Testament 
in 6 different columns, the Octapla in 8 different 
versions in parallel columns. 

His most celebrated work is his apology for Chris- 
tianity contained in the eight books " Against Cel- 
sus." It is regarded as the most complete defense 
of Christianity that appeared in the early ages of the 
church. 

His zeal for the church, his great learning, his 
wonderful industry, his able defense of truth, and 
his sufferings for it have made him one of the most 
remarkable personages in the history of God's 
church. 

St. Cyprian was bishop of Carthage. He is prin- 
cipally noted for his defense of the Unity of the 
Church. " All the life and blessings of Christi- 
anity," he writes, " depend on the union of the faith- 
ful with their bishops, and of all the bishops with 
the mother church of Rome." 

Cyprian was born at Carthage of pagan parent- 
age. He was a lawyer and a successful teacher of 
rhetoric. He was converted by Cecilius, a priest of 
Carthage, about the year 246 and afterwards devoted 



CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EAELY CHURCH. 29 

himself to the study of Scripture and the Christian 
writers. He was particularly delighted with the 
writings of Tertullian, whose genius he admired, 
while he was careful to avoid his errors. 

After his baptism he made such advancement in 
virtue that the people requested that he be ordained 
priest; and, shortly afterwards, in the year 248, he 
was made bishop of the then important see of Car- 
thage. On September 16, 258, he received the crown 
of martyrdom. 

Besides his book on the " Unity of the Church " 
St. Cyprian's principal writings were, "On Con- 
tempt of the World/' " On the Vanity of Idols," 
" On Virgins," " On Good Works, " On Celibacy 
of the Clergy," " On Mortality." 

In the last of these he exhorts Christians to imi- 
tate the saints and martyrs if they wish to go to 
heaven. " There we shall meet with the glorious 
choir of apostles, prophets, martyrs and virgins. 
There we shall behold the rewards of those who, by 
feeding the hungry and aiding the afflicted, have 
with their earthly treasure purchased to themselves 
a treasure in heaven."' 

Fourth Century. 

23. Athanasius, Ambrose and Basil. 

Athanasius is known principally on account of his 
connection with the condemnation of Arianism. He 
is one of the great doctors of the Eastern Church. 



30 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 

St. Athanasius was born at Alexandria about the 
year 296, and died May 2, 373 A. D. On account 
of his talents and virtue his good Christian parents 
were solicitous to procure for him the best education 
possible. 

Alexander, the bishop of Alexandria, directed his 
studies, ordained him a deacon in 319, took him 
into his house as his secretary and was guided by 
his prudence, virtue and learning. After the death 
of Alexander in 326, Athanasius was unanimously 
elected to succeed him. St. Cyril tells us he was 
bishop of Alexandria for 46 years, and ruled with 
mildness and firmness. St. Gregory Nazianzen says 
of him : " When I praise Athanasius virtue itself 
is my theme ; for I name every virtue as often as I 
mention him who possessed all virtues. He was the 
true pillar of the church. His life and conduct 
were the rule of bishops, and his doctrine the rule 
of orthodox faith." 

In the year 325, while he was still a deacon, he 
accompanied Bishop Alexander to the Council of 
Nice, where he became conspicuous on account of the 
great zeal and learning with which he combated 
Arius and his teachings. His great triumph over 
Arius will be treated more fully in the chapters on 
the Councils, and on the trials of the church. 

His principal writings were, " Four Orations 
against Arius," " Discourse Against Pagans," " On 
the Incarnation," " The Trinity," and on " Vir- 
ginity," in all of which he teaches the same truths 



CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 31 

taught by the Catholic Church to-day. His style 
was strong, clear and elegant. 

Four emperors, Constantine, Constantius, Julian 
and Valens tried to destroy him. Almost the whole 
world turned against him and persecuted him. But 
he triumphed over all. He was kind to his en- 
emies, patient in trials and courageous in persecu- 
tions. Like his Divine Model, he was humble, 
modest and charitable. 

Ambrose is one of the four great Doctors, or 
Fathers, of the Western Church. The others are 
Augustine, Jerome, and Gregory the Great. St. 
Ambrose was born in Gaul about the year 340, and 
died at Milan, 397 A. D. In his youth he studied 
law and afterwards was governor of one of the 
Roman provinces. He ruled with wisdom and 
justice. 

In the year 374 he was baptized and unanimously 
chosen bishop of Milan. He governed his diocese 
with apostolic zeal, firmness and kindness. He was 
a true, good and faithful shepherd. His sermons 
were models of zeal and eloquence. His sermon on 
Celibacy shows the antiquity of that Catholic prac- 
tice. Many of his hymns are still sung in the 
church ; for example, Aeterne rerum Conditor and 
Deus Creator omnium. 

To his eloquence we owe the conversion of the 
greatest Doctor of the church, St. Augustine. Kind 
and charitable to all, he was firm and unbending 
when a principle was at stake. He rebuked the 



32 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 

Emperor Valentinian, defied Maximus and would 
not permit Theodosius to enter the church during 
the celebration of Mass until he had done penance 
for his wicked deeds. 

In his book on the "Mysteries" St. Ambrose 
gives instructions for the newly baptized, explains 
the ceremonies of baptism and confirmation and 
clearly explains the doctrine of the Holy Eucharist. 
He exhorts the faithful to frequent communion, be- 
cause the Holy Eucharist is our spiritual bread. 

He wrote "The Creation," "On Paradise," "On 
Fasting," "On the Sacraments," "Commentaries on 
the Scripture," etc. 

St. Ambrose tempered his inflexibility where the 
Divine Law was concerned and authority of a bishop 
with kindness and sweetness. Every one saw that 
his firmness in matters of duty proceeded from the 
tenderest charity. True charity, that has sincerely 
the interests of others at heart, is an essential quali- 
fication of Christ's ministers. 

Basil was Archbishop of Cesarea in Cappadocia. 
He was one of the four great Doctors of the Eastern 
Church. The others are Athanasius, Gregory Naz- 
ianzen and John Chrysostom. 

Basil was born in the year 329 and died in the 
year 379. He was an able theologian, an eloquent 
preacher, and a model bishop. His was a holy fam- 
ily. His father, mother and three of his brothers 
were canonized saints. One of his brothers was St. 



CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 33 

Gregory of Nyssa, sometimes numbered among the 
four great Doctors of the Eastern Church. 

In his 35th year Basil was ordained priest, and 
seven years afterwards was consecrated Archbishop. 
His principal efforts during his life were directed 
towards defending the divinity of Jesus Christ 
against the Arians. 

Another of his great works was the order of Bas- 
ilian Monks which he founded, the rules of which 
order were sanctioned by Pope Liberius. Before 
his death 90,000 monks were following the rule of 
the order founded by him. Historians of that order 
claim that it has given to the church 14 popes, 
1,800 bishops and 11,000 martyrs. The rule St. 
Basil gave his monks in the East became the basis 
of the great Benedictine order of the West. 

Besides his work against Arianism, St. Basil 
wrote " The Creation of the World," " On the Holy 
Ghost," "On Virginity," "On Morals," "Com- 
mentaries on the Bible," Epistles, etc. 

In his writings he frequently teaches the neces- 
sity of auricular confession of sins, of frequent com- 
munion and other Catholic doctrines. 

St. Basil was a man of great learning and 
eloquence, combined with deep humility and piety. 
He devoted his talents to advance God's greater 
glory. He gave not only his talents but his earthly 
treasures to God's church and God's poor, and now 
enjoys the infinite treasures of heaven. 
3 



34 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 



Fifth Century. 

24. Chrysostom, Augustine and Cyril of 
Alexandria. 

Chrysostom was distinguished as an expounder of 
the Scripture and as an eloquent preacher. Hence 
the name Chrysostom, which means golden mouth. 

St. John Chrysostom was born at Antioch in 347 
and died in exile in 407 A. D. At 18 years of age 
he was practicing law. Shortly after this he was 
instructed by Bishop Meletius of Antioch, who bap- 
tized him and taught him the elements of ecclesias- 
tical science. After some years spent in the study 
of the Scripture and other necessary branches, John 
was ordained a priest. In the year 397, he was 
elected Archbishop of Constantinople. Then his 
great trials and difficulties began in earnest. He 
was banished by the cruel emperor, suffered untold 
hardships, with patience and resignation, and died in 
banishment after receiving the Holy Sacrament and 
saying, " Glory be to God for all things." 

St. John Chrysostom was a voluminous writer. 
Perhaps his work on " The Priesthood " is his 
greatest and best known. In it he speaks of the 
tremendous Sacrifice of the Mass, of the purity of 
the priest, of his great power of binding and loosing 
sins and of the Real presence. 

St Augustine, like St. Paul, was transformed 
from a great sinner into a great saint. He is a 



CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 35 

model of true penitents. He was born at Tagaste, 
in Africa, in the year 354 and died 430 A. D. His 
father was a pagan, his mother a Christian. In his 
youth he had the advantages of all the best teachers 
of the day. He was a brilliant but wild and way- 
ward youth. His mother, St. Monica, was con- 
stantly praying for him. 

Her prayers were answered. In 386 she had the 
unspeakable happiness of witnessing his conversion 
to the true Church. After this he spent some years 
in retirement, penance, study and prayer. In the 
year 390 he was ordained priest and five years after- 
ward was consecrated bishop of Hippo. He dis- 
charged the duties of his high office with apostolic 
zeal and piety. 

His writings were numerous and valuable. 
Among the best known are his " Confessions," " On 
Free Will," and " On the True Religion," in which 
he proves that both authority and reason lead us to 
the Catholic Church, which is the only source of 
truth, virtue and happiness. 

Cyril of Alexandria was born in 376 and died in 
444 A. D. In the year 412 he was elected bishop 
of Alexandria. St. Cyril of Alexandria was espe- 
cially devoted to the Holy Eucharist and the Blessed 
Virgin. He wrote several books, of which the prin- 
cipal are, " Against Nestorius," " On the Sacrifice of 
the Mass," a On Holy Communion," "On the Trin- 
ity," and several epistles, in which he requests that 



36 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 

great care be exercised lest anyone die without bap- 
tism or the Holy Eucharist or Viaticum. 

Such were the great and glorious men whom the 
church honors as her writers and fathers. 

Other great writers of the first five centuries 
were Gregory Thaumaturgus, the great wonder- 
worker ; Lactaidius, the finished Latin scholar ; 
Jerome, the great Scripture student and writer, 
and Eusebius, the church historian. A mere 
mention of their names will suffice here. Suf- 
ficient has been said to show plainly what was the 
fundamental teachings of the early church. 

Quotations from their writings, showing that the 
teaching of the early church was identical with that 
of the Catholic Church of to-day, will be found in 
the chapter on The Teachings of the Early Church. 



CHAPTEE IV. 

THE TEACHINGS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 

Tj^OR three years Our Saviour publicly taught His 
-*■ heavenly doctrine in various parts of Palestine. 
Some of what He taught was afterwards written by 
the Evangelists. Much of His teaching has come 
down to us by tradition ; i. e., it was handed down 
by word of mouth from generation to generation and 
was finally reduced to writing by the fathers and 
writers of the early church. 

The Great Teacher promised that the Holy Ghost 
would guide the teaching church in all truth, and 
that He Himself would abide with her forever. 
This power has ever preserved the church from 
error in defining matters of faith and morals. 

It is a consolation to the Catholic to know that 
the fathers of the church 1400, 1500, 1C00, 1700 
and 1800 years ago taught the same truths we 
believe to-day. They learned them directly from 
the mouths of the Apostles and their immediate 
successors. 

In this chapter will be found brief quotations 
from the Scriptures and from the early fathers show- 
ing that the characteristic teachings of the Catholic 

37 



38 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 

Church to-day are the same taught by the early 
fathers and by Jesus Christ Himself. 

The teaching of the church on the Sacrifice of the 
Mass will be found in the chapter on the Liturgy of 
the Early Church. 

25. The Church and the Bible. 

"Going therefore teach ye all nations" (St. Mat- 
thew XXVI1L, 19). 

"He that hears you hears Me" (St. Luke x., 16). 

" No prophecy [or explanation] of Scripture is of 
private interpretation " (II. Peter I., 20). 

Jesus Christ established His church to teach all 
nations. He commanded all to hear her. As He 
was to abide with her forever she could not teach 
error. She teaches that the Bible, rightly understood, 
is the word of God. She alone honors Sacred 
Scripture. She and she alone made the Canon of 
the Sacred Scripture. 

Not a single book of the New Testament was 
written until twenty years after Our Lord's ascen- 
sion. These books were written by different persons, 
at different times and for different purposes. It was 
many years before the different parts of the Scripture 
were known to Christians in general, and many more 
before their genuineness and authority were decided 
upon. In the year 397 the Council of Carthage 
published a canon of Scripture which has been the 
canon ever since. Canon means rule. By the 



CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 39 

" canon " of Scripture is meant the list of books 
which are to be received as inspired. The Apostles 
authorized the full list of Old Testament books, 
including the books of Tobias, Judith, Wisdom, 
Ecclesiasticus, Baruch, Machabees and the portions 
of Esther and Daniel rejected by non-Catholics. 
Clement of Rome, Polycarp and Tertullian quote 
them as Scripture. 

The canon of the New Testament was not fully 
settled until the middle of the fourth century. 

St. Augustine in his work on the Christian 
Doctrine says, " Now the entire canon of Scripture 
is comprised in these books : The five books of 
Moses : to wit, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, 
Deuteronomy ; one book of Joshua, the son of Nun ; 
one of Judges ; one small tract of Ruth ; next the 
four books of Kings and two of Paralipomenon. 
These books are a history, which contains a connected 
account of the times and of the order of the events. 
There are other books which seem of a different 
class, and are neither connected with the preceding 
nor with each other ; such are Job, Tobias, Esther, 
Judith, the two books of Machabees and two of 
Esdras; next follow the prophetical writings — the 
Psalms of David, Proverbs, Canticle of Canticles, 
Ecclesiastes, Wisdom, Ecclesiasticus ; the rest of the 
books are properly called prophets, twelve of which 
are connected with each other : Osee, Joel, Amos, 
Abdias, Jonas, Micheas, Nahum, Habacuc, Soph- 
onias, Aggeus, Zacharias, Malachy ; next the four 



40 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 

prophets who have left volumes of greater length, 
Isaias, Jeremias, Daniel and Ezechiel. [He included 
Baruch with Jeremias as others of the ancient fathers 
did.] In these forty-four [45 with Baruch] books is 
comprised the authority of the Old Testament." He 
then gives the list of 27 books of the New Testament. 
This list of St. Augustine is the Catholic canon of 
Scripture. 

That private interpretation of Scripture is wrong 
and that the church is the only expounder of the 
Bible was the belief of the early church, in proof of 
which we have the words of St. Augustine, " I 
would not believe the Gospel unless the authority of 
the Catholic Church moved me to it." (Epistle 
against the Manichseans.) St. Athanasius says, "All 
Scripture, old and new, proceeded from Divine 
inspiration." He gives the canon of Scripture which 
is identical with the Catholic canon. 

These few quotations show that the fathers of the 
first five centuries believed that the church is guided 
by the Holy Ghost who resides in her and preserves 
her from falling into error, that the church alone is 
the interpreter of Scripture, that the canon of the 
early church is the Catholic canon of Scripture 
which contains all the books eliminated by non- 
Catholics, and that the Bible is the inspired word of 
God, containing many mysterious doctrines surpass- 
ing human understanding which must be made 
known to us by the church, the infallible guide to 
heaven. 



characteristics op the early church. 41 

26. The Sacraments. 

The early Christians believed that there were 
seven sacraments instituted by Jesus Christ by which 
the merits of His passion were applied to the soul of 
the recipient. These sacraments are Baptism, Con- 
firmation, Holy Eucharist, Penance, Extreme 
Unction, Holy Orders and Matrimony. 

Baptism. 

The early Christians taught that Baptism was 
necessary to salvation and that it was necessary for 
all, infants included. They taught that it remitted 
sin, actual and original, and that it could not be 
repeated. " Unless a man be born again of water 
and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the King- 
dom of Heaven " (John in., 5). "And Peter said 
to them, 'Do penance and be baptized every one of 
you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of 
your sins' " (Acts n., 38). 

Tertullian says on Baptism, " Happy the sacra- 
ment of our water, whereby, being cleansed from 
our former blindness, we are made free unto eternal 
life." 

St. Augustine, writing on Faith, says, " From the 
child just born, even to the decrepit old man, as 
none is to be prohibited from Baptism, so none is 
there who does not die to sin in Baptism ; but 
infants to original sin only, but older persons die 



42 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 

also to all those sins whatsoever, which by living ill 
they have added to that which they derived from 
their birth." 

Baptism was given either by immersion, pouring 
or sprinkling. The first of these was most common 
in the East, while Baptism by pouring or effusion 
was generally practiced in the West. 

Confirmation. 

It was the custom of the early church to administer 
confirmation immediately after Baptism, or as 
soon as possible. An early writer says, " Seven are 
the duties of a bishop: to confirm, to bless, to 
absolve, to hold a synod, to dedicate, to consecrate, 
to ordain. It is his to confirm, to anoint the fore- 
heads of the baptized faithful with chrism." " Now 
when the Apostles who were in Jerusalem had heard 
that Samaria had received the Word of God, they 
sent unto them Peter and John, who when they 
were come, prayed for them, that they might receive 
the Holy Ghost. For He was not yet come upon 
any of them ; but they were only baptized in the 
name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid their hands 
upon them and they received the Holy Ghost " ( Acts 
Vin., 14-17). " After this, having come out of the 
laver, we are anointed with blessed unction .... 
next to this the hand is laid upon us, through the 
blessing calling upon and inviting the Holy Spirit" 
(Tertullian, Epistle to Smyrna). 



CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 43 

St. Cyprian says in his epistle to Januarius : 
" Anointed also must he of necessity be, who is bap- 
tized, in order that having received the chrism, that 
is the unction, he may be the anointed of God, and 
have within him the grace of Christ." 

In a similar way does the successor of the Apostles 
administer Confirmation to-day. The bishop extends 
his hands over those to be confirmed, prays that they 
may receive the Holy Ghost and anoints the fore- 
head with chrism in the form of a cross, as did the 
Chribtians of the early church and of all ages. 

The Holy Eucharist. 

To the early Christians, as to the Catholics of all 
ages, the Sacrament of the Altar is the Body and 
Blood of Christ. 

" And while they were at supper Jesus took bread 
and blessed and broke and gave to His disciples, 
and said, ' Take ye and eat, this is My Body;' and 
taking the chalice He gave thanks and gave to them 
saying, 'Drink ye all of this, for this is My Blood 
which shall be shed for the remission of sins' " 
{Matthew xxvi., 28). " Whosoever shall eat of this 
Bread or drink this Chalice unworthily shall be 
guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord" (7. Cor. 
xi., 26). 

For several centuries the Christians hid the lead- 
ing mysteries of their religion from the Pagans. 
This was called "The Discipline of the Secret." 
Amongst the mysteries thus concealed was the 



44 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 

doctrine of the Holy Eucharist. This accounts for 
the guarded language used by the early writers 
when writing of the Holy Eucharist. It also 
explains the charges sometimes made by their 
enemies, that in their meetings infants were killed 
and their flesh devoured. This referred to the Holy 
Eucharist — the Body and Blood of Christ. ' The 
doctrine of the Real Presence was not explained, 
except to the baptized, even as late as St. Augustine's 
time. He says in his tract on John that if catechu- 
mens were asked about the reception of the Body 
and Blood of Christ they would not know what was 
meant. 

St. Augustine also says when asked how often 
Christians should receive Holy Communion, "Some 
say daily ; some, weekly ; but for my part, I would 
council all to keep peace with the Lord and not 
receive Him unworthily." And St. Ambrose said, 
" Let the faithful hear Mass daily and receive the 
Holy Eucharist every Sunday." 

The primitive Christians not only believed that 
Jesus Christ is really and truly present in the Holy 
Eucharist, but received Him in Holy Communion 
frequently. It was only after the lapse of centuries 
that the church had to pass a law directing her luke- 
warm children to receive at least three times a year, 
Christmas, Easter and Pentecost, which law was 
afterwards modified limiting the number of times 
the faithful must receive to at least once a year — 
Easter time. 



CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EAELY CHURCH. 45 

Good Catholics, at all times, frequently receive 
their Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in the Blessed 
Sacrament of the Altar. 

Penance, 

Auricular confession as practiced in the Catholic 
Church was taught by Jesus Christ and practiced 
by the Christians of the first five centuries. They 
believed that besides confession, contrition and 
satisfaction were necessary for the forgiveness of 
sin. 

"Amen I say unto you, whatsoever you shall 
bind upon earth, shall be bound also in heaven, 
and whatsoever you shall loose upon earth shall be 
loosed also in heaven" {Matthew xvin., 18). " As 
the Father hath sent Me, I also send you. When 
He had said this, He breathed upon them, and He 
said to them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost, whose sins 
you shall forgive they are forgiven them ; and 
whose sins you shall retain they are retained " 
{John xx., 21, 22 and 23). 

St. John, who is a witness of the practices of the 
church in the first and second centuries, says in the 
first chapter of his epistle, " If we confess our sins, 
He is faithful and just, to forgive us our sins, and to 
cleanse us from all iniquity." St. Cyprian says, 
"Confession is made with inquiry into the life of 
him who is doing penance, nor may anyone come to 
communion, except the hand shall have been imposed 
on him by the clergy." 



46 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 

St. Ambrose, in his book on Penance, says, " God 
promised mercy to all and granted His priests per- 
mission to loose all without exception." St. Cyprian 
(De Lapsis) says, "Let each confess his sins, and the 
satisfaction and remission made through the priest 
are pleasing before the Lord." 

St. Athanasius, in his book against the Novatians, 
says, " He who confesses in penitence, receives 
through the priest, by the grace of Christ, the 
remission of his sins." St. Ambrose says, " The 
poison is sin ; confession is the remedy." 

The above quotations are sufficient to show clearly 
that the belief in Penance, a sacrament, including 
confession, contrition, satisfaction and the priest's 
absolution, was held by the Christians of the first 
five centuries and taught by Jesus Christ. 

Extreme Unction. 

" Is any man sick among you ? Let him call in 
the priests of the church, and let them pray over him, 
anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord, and 
the prayer of faith shall save the sick man, and the 
Lord shall raise him up, and if he be in sins they 
shall be forgiven him" (St. James v., 14). 

The early Christians were as anxious to receive 
Extreme Unction when necessary as are the Catho- 
lics to-day. Origen tells us in his Homily on 
Leviticus, "Wherein that also is fulfilled which the 
Apostle James said, ' But if any man be sick among 
you/ " &c. St. Colman writes in the fifth century, 



CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 47 

" When therefore he was about to depart from this 
life, and to receive the reward of his labors from God, 
he was weighed down with infirmity of body, and 
being anointed with the unction of the Sacrament of 
Oil [Extreme Unction] he fortified his exit by 
taking the Lord's Body and Blood. " 

The early Christians believed that the Sacrament 
of Extreme Unction (so called from the oil used), 
which is administered to dying persons, strengthens 
them in their passage from the present to a better 
life, and they also believed that it was divinely 
instituted. 

Holy Orders. 

Primitive Christianity was in harmony with the 
Catholic Church of all ages in teaching that Holy 
Orders is a Sacrament by which priests and other 
ministers of the church are ordained and receive the 
power to perform their sacred duties; and that 
bishops alone have the power to ordain. 

" As the Father sent Me, I also send you" (John 
xx., 21). 

"For this cause I left thee in Crete, that thou 
should set in order the things that are wanting, and 
should ordain priests in every city, as I also 
appointed thee " (Titus I., 5). 

" The Apostles have preached to us from the Lord 
Jesus Christ ; Jesus Christ, from God. Christ there- 
fore was sent by God, the Apostles by Christ. 
Preaching through countries and cities, they ap- 



48 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 

pointed their first fruits — having proved them by 
the spirit — bishops and deacons " (St. Clement of 
Rome, I. Epistle to the Corinthians). 

" Let a bishop be ordained by two or three 
bishops. Let a priest be ordained by one bishop " 
(Apostolic Canons). 

The fourth Council of Carthage, in the fourth 
century, describes the manner of ordination of a 
bishop, a priest, a deacon and a sub-deacon. 

" Bishops have been appointed to rule, and to 
priests has the Altar been entrusted. But the laity 
is withheld from the sacred office" (St. Cyril of 
Alex.). 

The celibacy of the clergy is a matter of discipline 
which has come down to us from Apostolic times. 
St. Jerome says, " The Apostles were either virgins 
or continent after their election." Their successors, 
the bishops and priests of the Catholic Church, 
have been such ever since. 

Origen says, " It appears to me, that it belongs to 

him alone to offer the unceasing sacrifice [of the 

Mass] who has devoted himself to unceasing and 

perpetual chastity." The fathers based their belief 

in the necessity of a celibate clergy on the words of 

St. Paul, " He that is without a wife is solicitous 

for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may 

please God." 

Matrimony. 

The early Christians looked upon Matrimony as 
one of the seven sacraments or channels, through 



CHAEACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 49 

which God's grace flows into the soul. It was held 
by them to be one and indissoluble. " What there- 
fore God hath joined together, let no man put 
asunder v [Matt, xix., 6). "A woman is bound by 
the law while her husband lives ; but, if her hus- 
band dies, she is at liberty ; let her marry whom she 
will" (I. Cor. VII., 40). 

" How can we find words to describe the happiness 
of that marriage which the church joins together, 
the oblation confirms and the blessing seals" (Ter- 
iullian). 

"It is required in this sacrament that the wed- 
lock be not dissolved, and that neither, if divorced, 
be united to another" (St. Augustine). 

Thus does antiquity confirm the teaching of the 
Catholic church that Matrimony is a sacrament, that 
it is one and indissoluble, and that*there is no such 
a thing as a divorce that will permit, in the sight of 
God, either party to marry during the lifetime of 
the other. 

27. Sacramentals. 

The early church made use of various things, 
signs and ceremonies in her religious offices. These 
excite attention, increase devotion, raise the mind to 
God, through these movements of the heart remit 
venial sin and are called sacramentals. The most 
important sacramentals are The Sign of the Cross, 
Holy Water, Blessed Palms, Oils, Ashes, etc. 
4 



50 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 

The Sign of the Cross. 

The primitive Christians began all their actions 
with the sign of the Cross. It recalls the Passion of 
Our Saviour. " God forbid that I should glory save 
in the cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ" (Gal. VI., 
14). " In all our travels," says Tertullian in the 
second century, " in coming in and in going out, at 
the table, in lying or sitting down, whatever occu- 
pation we are employed in, we mark ourselves with 
the sign of the cross." 

St. Basil alludes to the custom of the Christians 
of the fourth century, when he says, u Gordius hav- 
ing thus spoken signed himself with the sign of the 



cross." 



Holy Water. 



The custom of blessing water for the use of the 
faithful comes down to us with the weight of anti- 
quity on its shoulders. It is co-eval with the 
establishment of the church. Pope St. Alexander in 
the beginning of the second century speaks of it as 
an established custom. 

The blessing of the Holy Oils by the bishop on 
Holy Thursday, of Palms by the priest each Palm 
Sunday, of Candles on Candlemas day, feast of the 
Purification, of Ashes on Ash Wednesday, and of 
various other articles of devotion is as old as 
Christianity. 

The early church, as well as the church of to-day, 
blessed everything man lawfully used. She blessed 



CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 51 

the church in which he worshipped God, she blessed 
his dwelling, she blessed the food he ate, she blessed 
his fields, she blessed his body dead and the grave 
in which his body was laid. 

She blessed crosses, medals, everything used to 
enliven faith. She blessed everything he had. He 
received them all from God and the church asked 
God's blessing that all may assist in leading kirn to 
God. 

28. Other Characteeistic Catholic 
Doctrines. 

The Catholic doctrines on Purgatory, Indulgences, 
Invocation of saints, Honoring of relics, Honoring 
the Blessed Virgin, The Immaculate Conception, 
The Supremacy and Infallibility of the Pope, were 
taught by the fathers of the early church. 

Purgatory. 

" It is therefore a holy and a wholesome thought, 
to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from 
their sins" (II. Mach. xn., 46). "He that shall 
speak against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be for- 
given him, neither in this world nor in the world to 
come" (Matt, xn., 32). "Wherefore also does she 
pray for his soul" (Teriullian). 

St. Cyprian, speaking about some martyrs, says, 
" We always offer sacrifice for them on the anni- 
versary commemoration." St. Augustine tells us in 



52 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 

his Confessions, that his mother, St. Monica, made 
this request of him, " that you would remember me 
at the Altar of God." 

These quotations show that the early Christians 
were accustomed to pray and to have the Sacrifice of 
the Mass offered for the dead. These prayers they 
knew would be of no benefit to souls in heaven nor 
in hell. Therefore, they believed in Purgatory. 

Indulgences. 

The early Christians believed in indulgences. An 
indulgence, we are taught, is the remission of the 
temporal punishment due to sin. 

"Whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth, shall be 
loosed in heaven" {Matt xvi., 19). The Council 
of Nice, in the fourth century says, "As many as in 
fear, and tears, and patience, and good works, 
manifest their conversion in deed, and not in 
appearance, these having completed the appointed 
time, may communicate in the prayers, and the 
bishop may determine something more indulgent 
respecting them." 

St. Cyprian, St. Augustine and others tell us that 
in the early church notorious sinners were sentenced 
to long penances, after being absolved. By sincere 
sorrow an indulgence or remission of some or all of 
this time or temporal punishment was granted them. 
This is what is meant by an indulgence. 



CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 53 

Invocation of Saints and Angels. 

The Archangel Raphael said to Tobias, " When 
thou didst pray with tears ... I offered thy pray- 
ers to the Lord" (Tobias xn:, 12). "It is not 
unfitting to offer up supplications and intercession 
and thanksgiving to the saints " (Origen on Prayer). 
" Of the holy spiritual powers that have their place 
in heaven some are called eyes from being entrusted 
to watch over us ; others, ears from receiving our 
prayers " (Basil). " We ought to pray to martyrs, 
not for them " (St. Augustine). 

Honoring Relics, Pictures and Images. 

The first Christians adored God alone, but they 
honored relics and images of God's saints. "And 
when it [the body of the dead man] had touched the 
bones of Eliseus, the man came to life" (IV. Kings). 
" If I shall touch only the hem of his garment I 
shall be healed " (Matt. ix.). " The very relics of 
those who live with God are to be honored " (Ap. 
Const.). " It will be a good action on your part to 
send a martyr's relics to this place" (Basil). 

" In this place we have made an altar to honor 
the relics of St. Stephen. Such altars are pleasing 
to God " (St. Augustine). 

" They saw them [Peter and Paul] painted together 
with Him [the Saviour] in many places, for Rome is 
accustomed to honor the merits of Peter and Paul 



54 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 

on account of their martyrdom being on the same 
day" (St. Augustine). 

Honoring the Blessed Virgin. — Her Immaculate 
Conception. 

In honoring the saints the fathers of the early 
church always gave Mary the place of pre-eminence. 
With the Christians of all ages they believed that 
she was exalted above all created beings, that she 
was the purest and most perfect, the most privileged 
of beings since she was the immaculate Mother of the 
immaculate Son of God. 

" This Virgin Mother of the Only-begotten Son 
of God is called Mary, worthy of God, immaculate 
of the immaculate" (Origen). 

" Except the holy Virgin Mary, of whom, for the 
honor of the Lord, I will have no question whatever 
when sin is concerned " (St. Augustine). 

The fathers believed that in honoring Mary, the 
Mother of God, they honored God Himself, and 
also fulfilled those prophetic words, " For behold, 
from henceforth all generations shall call me 
blessed." 

The Supremacy and Infallibility of the Pope, 

All the early fathers believed that Peter held 
the first place among the Apostles. Tertullian says 
he was "the rock upon which the church was built, 
and that Christ left the keys to him, and through 
him to the church." Origen calls him " the prince of 



CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 55 

the Apostles." Cyprian says Peter was first among 
the Apostles and held the primacy among them. 
" Thou art Peter, and on this rock I will build My 
church " {Matt. xvi). " Feed my lambs . . . Feed 
my sheep M (John xxi., 15). 

St. Ambrose clearly expresses his belief in Papal 
supremacy when he asks the Emperor Gratian not to 
"permit the Roman Church, the head of the whole 
Roman world, and that sacred faith of the Apostles 
to be disturbed." St. Augustine says, " Reckon up 
the bishops from the very See of Peter . . . That 
is the rock which the haughty gates of hell do not 
overcome." 

These quotations are sufficient to show that the 
fathers of the early church not only believed in the 
primacy and supremacy of Peter and his successors, 
but also in the infallibility, which was not a declared 
dogma of faith until recent times. 

They believed that the Roman pontiff is the suc- 
cessor of St. Peter, prince of the Apostles ; that he is 
the head of the whole church, supreme pastor of all 
the flock of Christ ; that to him in the person of 
Peter was given full power of feeding, guiding and 
governing the universal church ; that he is the 
centre of Catholic unity ; and that he is preserved 
from error when, as head of the church, he teaches 
the whole church doctrines of faith and morals. 



CHAPTER V. 

THE LITURGY OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 

" ITURGY is from the Greek Xetrov epyov, leitour- 
-^ gia, meaning public service. In its wide sense, 
it means all the rites and ceremonies used in the cele- 
bration of Mass, the administration of sacraments, 
and other services of the church. In its restricted 
signification it refers to the Sacrifice of the Mass. 

29. The Sacrifice of the Mass is the center of 
Catholic worship. It is a continual renewal of the 
sacrifice of the cross. In the Sacrifice of the Mass 
Christ is the sacrificing Priest as He is also the 
Victim. 

The Apostles and their immediate successors as- 
sembled for the celebration of Divine service in the 
houses of the new converts. Some of these were 
wealthy persons, who gladly threw open their houses 
to the early Christians. Persecution soon drove 
them to the caverns, burial places and other secret 
spots for the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice. The 
most noted of the secret places are the Roman Cata- 
combs, of which we will speak in another chapter. 

St. Luke in the Acts (n., 42 ; xx., 7) and St. Paul 
in his Epistles (Col iv., 16; Rom. xvi., 4 ; Eph. v., 
19, Cor. x., 16) describe the manner of performing 
56 



CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 57 

Divine service in the early church. The soul of the 
service was the commemoration of the Last Supper, 
the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. In the beginning 
the celebration of the Eucharistic Sacrifice was sim- 
ple. We learn, however, from the Apostolic Con- 
stitutions that even in primitive times it did not 
essentially differ from the Mass as celebrated to-day. 
Few minor changes and additions were made in the 
first few centuries. 

30. The service was divided into two parts, the 
Mass of the Catechumens and the Mass proper, 
Missa Catechu menorum and Missa Fidelium. At 
the Mass of the Catechumens, the unbaptized, and 
public penitents could be present. At the Mass 
proper only the baptized were present. 

The Mass of the Catechumens began with a recital 
of psalms corresponding to the psalm and prayers 
now said by the priest and ministers at the beginning 
of Mass, before ascending the steps to the altar. Then, 
as now, he repeated the Kyrie Eleison, Lord have 
mercy on us, a supplication for mercy. The hymn 
of praise, Gloria in Lxcelsis, followed ; after which 
the celebrant, turning towards the faithful said, 
" Dominus Vobiscum," " The Lord be with you" 
and then recited certain prayers called the " Collect." 

A passage from one of the Epistles or from the 
Old Testament was next read, a psalm, the Graduale, 
recited, the Gospel chanted and then explained by 
the bishop or some priest. After this explanatory 
sermon, or homily, all the unbelievers and penitents 



58 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 

retired, and the Mass proper began by the " Offertory," 
or offering of the bread and wine for the sacrifice. 

The " Preface " followed, closing with the hymn 
of the Angels, " Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of 
Hosts," Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus. Then came the 
" Canon " the most solemn portion of the Mass, 
during which occur the Consecration, the elevation 
of the consecrated species, the Pater Noster, the 
Agnus Dei, and the distribution of Holy Com- 
munion. After prayers of thanksgiving the people 
were dismissed with the words, "Ite Missa est." 
" Depart, Mass is over." 

Thus we see that the same Holy Sacrifice of the 
Mass which is celebrated in our churches to-day 
was solemnized by the fathers of the early church. 
The essential portion of the Mass has come down to 
us without change from the Last Supper. Even 
the rites and ceremonies as we have them to-day 
come to us from the early church, as Sts. Basil, 
Chrysostom, Augustine, and others testify. 

In the early ages of the church it was permitted 
to celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in pri- 
vate houses. St. Augustine tells us that a certain 
man named Hesperus wanted one of the priests 
under his jurisdiction to say Mass in his house for a 
certain purpose. " A priest went," he says, " and 
offered up the sacrifice of the Body and Blood of 
Christ, fervently beseeching the Lord that the afflic- 
tion might depart from the household. Through 
the mercy of God the petition was granted." 



CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 59 

31. This chapter is called The Liturgy (and 
not the liturgies) of the Early Church, because all 
the ancient liturgies agree on the chief doctrines and 
practices of the Catholic Church, especially on the 
Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. 

They all teach Prayers for the dead ; all contain 
an account of the institution of the Holy Eucharist ; 
all have the prayer that God will change the bread 
and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ ; all 
speak of the mystery and sacrifice that are cele- 
brated ; all mention the mixture of water and wine 
in the sacrifice ; all use the sign of the cross, and in 
all may be found the invocation of saints. 

The three principal liturgies were those of St. 
James, St. Mark, and St. Peter, or the Roman 
liturgy. These liturgies can be traced to the first 
five centuries of the Christian church, and anyone 
desiring to be in conformity with the primitive 
church, can not but be impressed with their uniform- 
ity, universality and high authority. 

32. The Liturgy of St. James is sometimes 
called the Liturgy of Jerusalem. In this liturgy, 
after the priest has said the words of consecration,, 
he continues, a We offer unto Thee, O Lord, this 
tremendous and unbloody sacrifice, beseeching that 
Thou deal not with us according to our sins nor 

reward us according to our iniquities Then 

the priest breaks the bread, and taking one-half in his 
right hand and the other in his left, he dips what he 
holds in his right hand into the chalice and says: 



60 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 

The union of the most holy Body and of the pre- 
cious Blood of Our Lord, and God and Saviour, 
Jesus Christ. Then he signs what he holds in his 
left hand, then the other half and immediately begins 
to break and to distribute a part into each cup, say- 
ing : The union is made and sanctified and perfected 
in the name of the Father and of the Son and of 
the Holy Ghost. . . . Taste and see how gracious 
the Lord is, Who is broken and not divided, is 
given to the faithful and not consumed for the 
remission of sins, and for everlasting life, now and 

ever, to eternal ages O Lord, our God, 

the heavenly Bread, the Life of the world, I have 
sinned against heaven and before Thee, and am not 
worthy to partake of Thy immaculate mysteries ; but 
as Thou art a merciful God make me worthy by Thy 
grace to partake without condemnation of Thy holy 
Body and precious Blood for the remission of my 
sins and eternal life." 

This liturgy is used in the Syriac language by the 
Monophysite heretics. Substantially the same lit- 
urgy is used at Jerusalem by the Melchites, who are 
orthodox Catholics. 

The Monophysite heresy was condemned in 451 
by the Council of Chalcedon. Hence we see the 
antiquity of this liturgy, or at least of the parts of it 
used in common by the Monophysite heretics and 
the orthodox Catholics. 

33. The Liturgy of St. Mark is also called the 
Liturgy of Alexandria, because St. Mark was the 



CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 61 

first bishop of that ancient see. That this liturgy 
has come down to us from the first centuries of the 
church we have as strong proof as we have for the 
antiquity of St. James' liturgy. The Liturgy of St. 
Mark is used by the Monopbysites of the patriarch- 
ate of Alexandria. 

The words of institution and consecration are 
almost the same in all the liturgies. In this liturgy 
we read, " Our Lord Himself, and God, and supreme 
King, Jesus Christ, in the night wherein He deliv- 
ered Himself for our sins and underwent death in 
the flesh for all men, reclining with His disciples 
He took bread with His holy and spotless and unde- 
fined hands, looking up to Thee His own Father, 
but our God, and the God of all, He gave thanks, 
blessed, sanctified, broke and gave to His holy and 
blessed apostles and disciples, saying, ' Take, eat, for 
this is my Body which is broken for us and dis- 
tributed for the remission of sins/ People: Amen. 
In like manner after He had supped, having taken 
the chalice and mixing the wine and water, and 
looking up to heaven He gave thanks, He blessed, 
He filled it with the Holy Ghost, and gave to His 
holy and blessed disciples saying, Drink ye all of it. 
For this is My Blood of the New Testament, which 
is shed and distributed for you and for many for the 
remission of sins. Do this in commemoration of 
Me, for as often as you shall eat this Bread and 

drink this Chalice, ye show forth My death 

Send down also upon us, and upon these loaves and 



62 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 

these cups, Thy Holy Spirit, that He may sanctify 
and consecrate them, as an Almighty God, and make 
the bread indeed the Body, and the chalice the 
Blood of Our Lord Himself, and God, and Saviour 
and supreme King, Jesus Christ." When communi- 
cating the clergy he says, " The holy Body and at 
the chalice the precious Blood of Our Lord and 
God and Saviour." 

Besides these two liturgies there were various 
others used in the East. The only ones at present 
used in the Eastern Church are those of St. Basil 
and St. John Chrysostom. 

34. The Liturgy of St. Peter, or the Roman 
liturgy, is of apostolic origin, derived from St. 
Peter. It was first used at Antioch, afterwards at 
Rome. It is the liturgy of the Western or Latin 
church. The other so-called liturgies — the Am- 
brosian, used only in Milan, the Mozarabic, used in 
Toledo, Spain, the Gallican, the Lyonnese, and the 
liturgy of Theodorus — are either derived from the 
Roman or are conformable to it. A manuscript 
from the Royal library of Sweden shows this lit- 
urgy as it was in the time of Pope Gelasius, in 492 
A. D. The works of St. Leo contain a sacra- 
mentary which was used in St. Leo's time, about 
the year 440. This sacramentary and the liturgy 
agree in all essential particulars, thus proving the 
antiquity of St. Peter's liturgy. 

In this liturgy we find in the canon : " Where- 
fore, O Lord, we beseech Thee, vouchsafe to make 



CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 63 

in all respects, blessed, approved, ratified, reason- 
able, and acceptable, that it may be made unto us 
the Body and Blood of Thy most beloved Son, Our 
Lord Jesus Christ. After the consecration the priest 
says: Wherefore, O Lord, we, Thy servants, offer 
unto Thy glorious Majesty of Thy gifts and pres- 
ents, a pure host, the holy Bread of eternal life, and 
the Chalice of everlasting salvation. Upon which 
vouchsafe to look with a propitious and serene coun- 
tenance and to accept them as Thou didst vouchsafe 
to accept the gifts of Thy just servant, Abel, and 
the sacrifice of the patriarch, Abraham, and that 
which Thy high priest, Melchisedech, offered to 
Thee, a holy sacrifice, an immaculate host. . . . 
May this commixture and consecration of the Body 
and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ be to us that 

receive, unto eternal life Bowing to the 

Holy Sacrament the priest says : Lamb of God, who 
takest away the sins of world, have mercy on us. . . . 
Let not the participation of Thy Body, O Lord 
Jesus Christ, which I, though unworthy, presume to 
receive, be to my judgment and condemnation, but 
through Thy mercy may it be available to me for 
the safeguard and cure of mind and body. At the 
communion the priest says thrice: Lord, I am not 
worthy that Thou shouldst enter under my roof, but 
speak the word only, and my soul shall be healed." 
And in giving Holy Communion, as in receiving it 
himself, the priest again says it is " the Body of Our 
Lord Jesus Christ." 



64 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 

In the liturgy of the Nestorians, heretics, who left 
the church in the fifth century, we find the belief in 
the Real Presence, Transubstantiation, the Mass 
and other Catholic doctrines. 

From this brief examination of the various litur- 
gies of the early church, we see that all agree in 
proving the antiquity of man; Catholic doctrines, 
especially the institution of the Blessed Sacrament, 
the Real Presence, Transubstantiation, and the Sac- 
rifice of the Mass. 

35. For Liturgy guides us to a knowledge of 
what the church teaches. Doctrine can be deduced 
from prayers and ceremonies. 

Pope St. Celestine, in 431, laid down this princi- 
ple when he said, "the law guiding our prayers 
affords a rule for our belief." u Legem credendi 
lex statuit supplicandi." 



CHAPTER VI. 

THE EOMAN CATACOMBS AND THE EAELY 
CHURCH. 

rpHE Roman catacombs furnish strong proof of the 
-*- identity of the Catholic Church and the church 
of the first five centuries. 

The catacombs {Kara, downward, and tcvfiftos, a 
hollow vessel) are underground burial places. We 
are told that the ancient Egyptians buried their 
dead in subterranean tombs. There are catacombs 
around Paris, Naples and other places, which have 
been used as cemeteries. 

36. There are said to be sixty different catacombs 
around Rome within a circuit of about three miles 
from the walls. More than twenty-five of these 
have been carefully examined. Each catacomb 
is a network of passages running in various direc- 
tions. These passages are fifteen feet or more below 
the surface of the earth, are from three to five feet 
wide, and seven or eight feet high, and on either side 
are a number of horizontal shelves. 

These shelves serve as tombs for thousands of the 
early Christians. Each of these graves is covered 
with a slab of stone or some other material on which 
is often inscribed the name of the deceased and some 
Christian emblem. 

5 65 



66 CHARACTEEISTICS OF THE EAELY CHUKCH. 

Sometimes there is a widening of the passage to 
such an extent as to form a good-sized room. These 
rooms were used for the purpose of religious instruc- 
tion and the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice in 
times of persecution. 

Some of these underground burial places have two 
or three, or more, stories connected by stairways. 
The entire length of these underground passages is 
nearly six hundred miles. About 6,000,000 bodies 
have been interred in them. 

37. Many of these catacombs had their origin in 
remote antiquity. Some of them can be traced back 
to the times of Romulus and Remus. Although 
cremation was common among the Pagans, they 
sometimes buried their dead in underground ceme- 
teries. 

It was formerly believed that the catacombs were 
sand pits in which the Christians took refuge for 
concealment. But, through the efforts of the 
renowned De Rossi and others, it has been conclu- 
sively demonstrated that these excavations were made 
solely for the purpose of burying the dead. 

The Christian inscriptions found in them suffi- 
ciently prove this. During the first five centuries of 
Christianity the catacombs were used as Christian 
cemeteries. Dr. Northcote, and others, tell us that 
there are inscriptions in them from the year of Our 
Lord 72 down to the year 410. 

These were centuries of persecution. In the burial 
of the dead, as in their other services, the Christians 



CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 67 

were compelled to withdraw, as much as possible, 
from public observation. In these underground 
chapels, they could pray at the tombs of their rela- 
tives, and have the Holy Sacrifice offered up on altars, 
hewn out of the rocks, without fear of interruption. 

The Roman government did not at first disturb 
these Christian burial places. It was not until the 
third century, when they became convinced that these 
cemeteries were being used by the Christians for 
the purpose of religious worship, that the Roman 
authorities interfered with the catacombs. 

38. Beginning with the third century the history 
of the catacombs is a story of bloodshed. Persecution 
now became fierce and the Christians were attacked 
in the catacombs, whither they had fled to worship 
God when the public exercise of their religion was 
not permitted. 

The Emperor Valerian forbade them " to hold 
assemblies or to enter those places which they called 
cemeteries." The Christians did not obey this unjust 
decree. During the religious services in the catacomb 
of Pretextatus, near that of St. Callixtus, Pope Six- 
tus II. and some of his deacons were surprised and 
martyred. Many of the faithful who were present 
offered themselves to be martyred in place of their 
holy pontiff. 

The Pagans destroyed the stairways, blocked up 
the passages and endeavored to prevent the Chris- 
tians from again using the catacombs. But the 
Christians devised new ways of entrance and exit, 
and thus defeated the plans of their persecutors. 



68 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 

During these persecutions many martyrs perished 
in the catacombs. When peace was restored they 
became places of pilgrimage. Thousands crowded 
to them to honor the sacred relics of the martyrs. 
Pope St. Damasus and other bishops of Rome made 
new stairways and other improvements, to accomo- 
date the pious pilgrims. 

Pope Damasus composed verses in honor of many 
of the martyrs, which have been engraved on marble 
and have been of great service in constructing the 
history of these cemeteries. 

In the year 410 Rome was taken by Alaric. This 
year also put an end to the use of the Roman 
catacombs as burial places. A few, perhaps, were, 
from time to time, buried there to the end of the 
fifth century. They continued to be looked upon as 
holy places containing the relics of the martyrs, and 
consecrated by the shedding of their blood, and, as 
such, were visited by thousands of pious pilgrims. 

The Lombards plundered and partially destroyed 
the catacombs in the eighth century. In the ninth, 
many of the relics of the martyrs were removed from 
the catacombs to the various churches in Rome. 
This was done because the pope could not sufficiently 
protect these sacred relics, scattered .in so many 
cemeteries all around the city. 

These places now began to be neglected. During 
the next 600 years they were almost forgotten. In 
1578 certain laborers happened to dig into some 
graves ornamented with Christian paintings arid 



CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 69 

Greek and Latin inscriptions. "Rome was amazed." 
The learned flocked to see the wonderful discovery. 
Nothing much was done until 1593, when Antonio 
Bosio, a noted scholar of the time, made many 
important explorations and discoveries. Almost 
three centuries of obscurity followed. The Jesuit 
Father Marchi and his renowned pupil, Giovanni 
De Rossi, in the present century, have completely 
reconstructed the history of the catacombs. For more 
than a third of a century De Rossi spent his money, 
time and talents in the great labor of exploring the 
catacombs. He has published a learned work in 
three volumes embodying his principal researches. 

39. The Roman catacombs furnish many proofs 
that the teachings and practices of the Catholic 
Church of to-day are the same as those of primitive 
Christianity. 

The catacombs furnish abundant proof that the 
early church believed in honoring sacred pictures 
and images, in revering the Blessed Virgin, in a 
sacramental system, and in praying to the saints as 
well as for the dead. 

In spite of the corroding hand of time, the lapse 
of fifteen centuries has failed to destroy all of the 
Christian art which adorned the walls and ceilings 
of the catacombs. Sufficient remains to show that 
the Christians of the primitive church understood 
the proper use of sacred pictures and images. They 
used them to enliven their faith. While they adored 
God alone they honored the images of the Saviour, 



70 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 

His Blessed Mother and the saints, because by these 
images they were reminded of the originals. They 
also used them to beautify those underground 
chapels which in time of persecution were their only 
places of worship. 

The catacombs are an ancient Christian art 
gallery. The Christian artists of the first and 
succeeding centuries used many Biblical and symboli- 
cal subjects in their paintings. De Rossi, Northcote 
and others insist upon the superiority of the paint- 
ings of the first and second over those of the third 
and fourth centuries. 

40. One of the most ancient paintings in the 
catacombs is a representation of a vine trailing 
over the whole roof of the vaulted passage. It is 
a symbol of Our Lord, Who often spoke of Him- 
self under the image of a vine. 

One of the most endearing of the many titles 
which Our Lord used when speaking of Himself is 
that of The Good Shepherd. The first Christians 
delighted to keep this image always before them. 
They scratched it on tombstones, carved it on chalices, 
and painted it on the ceilings of the underground 
chapels. The Good Shepherd is more frequently 
represented in the paintings in the catacombs than 
any other subject. 

The resurrection is represented by pictures of 
Jonas, Lazarus, Daniel in the lion's den, and the 
three children in the fiery furnace. 

Pictures may also be seen of an anchor, the em- 
blem of hope, of a dove, the symbol of innocence, 



CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 71 

and of a sheep, the representative of a disciple of 
Christ. 

The picture of a fish frequently occurs in these 
paintings. As the dove is used to represent the Holy 
Ghost, so the fish is used to represent Jesus, the 
Saviour. The Greek word ^(9u? means fish. 
The five letters forming this Greek word are the 
initials of the five words in Greek that mean Jesus 
Christ, Son of God, Saviour. 

The various paintings of Mary in the catacombs, 
show the great love and reverence the primitive 
Christians had for Mary the Mother of God. 

Some of these paintings represent her with the 
Infant Jesus in her arms, and Isaias, who prophe- 
sied that Jesus would be born of a virgin, standing 
near her ; in others is represented the adoration of 
the Magi. These holy kings are represented pre- 
senting their gifts to the Infant Jesus, seated on His 
Mother's knee. 

Paintings referring to the various sacraments, 
especially Baptism and Holy Eucharist, are to be 
found in the different catacombs. Moses striking 
the rock, from which water bursts forth, is a figure of 
baptism : St. Paul tells us " the rock is Christ." 
The water that flowed from it is the stream of 
Divine grace first given by the waters of baptism. 
There is also a painting representing a man admin- 
istering the sacrament of baptism. 

There is a painting representing a priest in the 
act of consecrating the Holy Eucharist. Another 



72 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 

painting represents the Apostles at the Eucharistic 
banquet, partaking of the Blessed Sacrament. 

Various other paintings, representing biblical or 
symbolical subjects, are scattered through the cata- 
combs. 

Even non-Catholic writers admit that from the 
very beginning the Christians ornamented their 
underground chapels with paintings. 

41. The learned archaeologist De Rossi has 
made a collection of the Christian inscriptions of 
the first five or six centuries. Of these, one belongs 
to the first century, two to the second, twenty to the 
third, and five hundred to each of the next two 
centuries. 

These ancient inscriptions on the Christian tomb- 
stones usually contained the name of the deceased, to 
which was sometimes added the Christian salutation 
" Pax tecum/' " Peace be with thee," or " Vivas in 
Deo," " May you live in God." 

These inscriptions often ask for the departed soul 
rest, and light, and peace in God. Sometimes they 
invoke the help of the Martyr's prayers for the 
surviving relatives. 

Here are some of the inscriptions : " Pax tecum, 
Urania — Peace . with thee, Urania." " Susanna, 
Vivas in Deo — Susanna, mayest thou live in God." 
" Pete pro parentes tuos, Matronata Matrona, Quae 
vixit An. I., Di. LIII — Pray for your parents 
Matronata, Matrona, who lived one year, fifty-three 
days" "Vivas in pace et pete pro nobis — Mayest 
thou live in peace and pray for us" 



CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 73 

These few selections are sufficient to show the 
nature of the inscriptions in the catacombs. De 
Rossi published a collection of all the Christian 
inscriptions to be found in the catacombs. In this 
collection there are 11,000 inscriptions. 

Some of them, e.g., "Pete pro parentes tuos," are 
not consonant with the rules of grammar. 

42. The most famous of the catacombs is the 
"Cemetery of St. Callixtus," along the Appian 
Way, which contains the crypt, or vault, of St. 
Cecilia, of Pope Eusebius, who suffered martyrdom 
in 310, and the tombs of thousands of martyrs. 
Other important catacombs are those of Sts. Nereus 
and Achilles, Pretextatus and the Ostrian, or Ceme- 
terium Ostrianum. 

It is not strange that these underground ceme- 
teries have always attracted the attention of Chris- 
tians. Their exploration is interesting ; their history, 
instructive. From their exploration by learned 
antiquarians and archaeologists, we learn much about 
the lives and teaching of the martyrs, popes and 
other teachers of the Early Church. 



CHAPTER VII. 
THE CKEEDS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 

A CREED is a brief and exact statement of the 
-*■*- chief things to be believed. It is a summary 
of the principal articles of faith. 

Creed is from the Latin word Credo — the word 
with which the creeds begin. The chief doctrines of 
religion are found in the creeds. 

The creeds of the early church were the Apostles' 
Creed, the Nicene Creed, the Constantinopolitan 
Creed, and the Athanasian Creed. 

43. The Apostles' Creed. 

The Apostles' Creed is a list of the truths taught 
by the Apostles. Our Lord commissioned His 
Apostles to teach all nations. Before separating to 
fulfil this command they drew up a summary of the 
chief truths they were to teach. 

There are twelve parts or articles in the Apostles' 
Creed. Each of these articles or parts is intended to 
refute some false doctrine taught before or during 
the time of the Apostles. 
74 



CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 75 

The Romans, for example, taught that there were 
many Gods ; others said that the devil and not God 
created the world ; others taught various errors. All 
these errors are refuted and the truth inculcated by 
the Apostles' Creed. 

The following is the Apostles' Creed : " I believe 
in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven 
and earth ; and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, Our 
Lord ; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost ; born 
of the Virgin Mary ; suffered under Pontius Pilate ; 
was crucified, died and was buried. He descended 
into hell ; the third day he arose from the dead ; He 
ascended into heaven, sitteth at the right hand of 
God, the Father Almighty ; from thence He shall 
come to judge the living and the dead. I believe 
in the Holy Ghost; the Holy Catholic Church ; the 
communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the 
resurrection of the body ; and life everlasting. 
Amen." 

This creed contains the chief mysteries of religion 
and other truths of faith. The important truths 
contained in this creed are that God exists, that He 
will reward the good and punish the evil, that there 
are three persons in God, that the Son of God became 
man for our salvation, and that the soul of man will 
live forever. 

The mysteries which it teaches are, the Holy 
Trinity, the Incarnation, Death and Resurrection of 
Our Lord. 



76 CHAEACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 

We learn from the Acts of the Apostles that 
persoDs were questioned concerning their faith before 
baptism. Philip said to the Eunuch who wished to 
be baptized, " If thou believest with thy whole 
heart thou mayest." And he answering said : " I 
believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." 

Thus, even in Apostolic times, a profession of faith 
was required before baptism. 

Irenseus, Tertullian, and Gregory Thaumaturgus 
used a form identical, or almost identical, with our 
Apostles' Creed. Even if the Apostles, before 
separating to convert the world, did not compose this 
creed, it deserves the name of Apostles' Creed because 
it is an extension of the form used in baptism in 
Apostolic times, and it is a summary of Apostolic 
teaching. 

44. The Nicene Creed is so called because it is 
the formula drawn up at the first general council of 
the church at Nice, in the year 325. This profession 
of faith was based on the Apostles' Creed, Arius 
had denied the Divinity of Jesus Christ. Hence 
this profession of faith declared in the name of the 
Holy Ghost that the Son u was true God, born of 
God, not made, and consubstantial with the Father 
\_6fjboovGLos, consubstantialis y that is, co-eternal and 
equal in majesty with the Father], and let no one pre- 
sume to assert that He is created or changeable or 
variable." 

The following is the Nicene Creed : " We believe 
in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of all 



CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 77 

things, visible and invisible, and in one Lord Jesus 
Christ, the Son of God, only begotten from the 
Father, i. e., from the substance of the Father; God 
from God, light from light, true God from true God, 
begotten not made, consubstantial with the Father, 
through whom all things came into being, both the 
things in heaven and the things in earth ; who for 
us men and for our salvation came down and was 
made flesh, became man, suffered, and rose again on 
the third day and ascended into heaven, and is to 
come to judge the living and the dead. And in the 
Holy Ghost." 

It is said that St. Athanasius drew up this creed. 

45. The Constantinopolitan Creed, drawn up at 
the second general council at Constantinople, is 
almost identical with the Nicene. The principal 
difference was the addition of " The Lord and life- 
giver who proceedeth from the Father and the Son " 
after a and in the Holy Ghost." 

The Divinity of the Holy Ghost had been denied, 
and this council was convened to condemn that 
heresy and define the true doctrine concerning the 
Holy Ghost. This creed, or more properly the 
creed of Nice and Constantinople, with the addition 
of "Filioque," is said in the Mass every Sunday. It 
is as follows : " I believe in one God, the Father Al- 
mighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all 
things, visible and invisible. And in one Lord 
Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, and 
born of the Father before all ages ; God of God, 



78 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 

light of light, true God of true God, begotten not 
made, consubstantial with the Father, by whom all 
things are made. Who for us men and for our 
salvation came down from heaven, and became incar- 
nate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, and 
was made Man. He was crucified also for us, suf- 
fered under Pontius Pilate, and was buried. And 
the third day He rose again, according to the 
Scriptures; and ascended into heaven; sitteth at the 
right hand of the Father; and He is to come again 
with glory to judge both the living and the dead, of 
whose kingdom there shall be no end. And in the 
Holy Ghost, Lord, giver of life, who proceedeth 
from the Father and the Son, who together with the 
Father and the Son is adored and glorified; who 
spoke by the prophets. And in one, holy, Catholic 
and Apostolic church. I confess one Baptism for 
the remission of sins. And.l expect the resurrection 
of the dead, and the life of the world to come. 
Amen." 

46. As will readily be seen this creed is in per- 
fect agreement with the TSTicene, and both are founded 
on the Apostles' Creed. This creed has been said in 
the Catholic Church every Sunday since the fifth 
century with the exception of the words " Filioque." 
The words mean "from the Son" in the formula 
"proeeedeth from the Father and the Son." The 
words "Filioque" were not added by the church 
until the ninth century. They were introduced by 
the pope as universal teacher of the church. They 



CHAKACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 79 

are not an addition to, but an explanation of the 
creed. 

Ever since the time of Photius, in the ninth century, 
the words " Filioque " have been the cause of con- 
troversy between the East and the West. They were 
the cause of the Greek schism. It is not necessary 
for us to say more about these words here. We use 
them on the authority of Christ's representative, and 
that suffices. 

47. The Athanasian Creed, or, as it is sometimes 
called from its first words, Quicumque Vult, is said 
to be the work of St. Athanasius. Some deny this. 
But whether Athanasius was the author or not, its 
teaching is Athanasian. 

This creed brings out clearly the Catholic teaching 
on the Incarnation, the Holy Trinity, and the 
necessity of believing all the church teaches. It 
certainly comes down to us from the fifth century, if 
not from an earlier date. It has been used in the 
Breviary since the ninth century. The Utrecht 
Psalter, an ancient copy of this creed in Holland, 
has been proved to be at least 1200 or 1300 years 
old. Hence, the great antiquity of the Athanasian 
Creed is beyond dispute. 

According to this creed ; Whoever wishes to be 
saved must, above all things, hold the Catholic 
Faith. Unless a person observes this faith entire 
and pure, without doubt he will perish forever. But 
this Catholic Faith is, that we worship one God in 
three persons and Trinity in unity ; neither con- 



80 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 

founding the persons nor separating the substance. 
For the Father is one person, the Son is another, 
and the Holy Ghost another. But the Divinity of 
the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost 
is one, the glory is equal, and the Majesty is co- 
eternal. Such as is the Father, so is the Son, and 
so also is the Holy Ghost. 

The Father is uncreated, the Son is uncreated, the 
Holy Ghost is uncreated. 

The Father is immense, the Son is immense, the 
Holy .Ghost is immense. 

The Father is eternal, the Son is eternal, the Holy 
Ghost is eternal. Still there are not three eternals, 
but one Eternal, as there are not three uncreated nor 
three immense, but one Uncreated and one Immense. 

The Father is omnipotent, the Son omnipotent, 
the Holy Ghost omnipotent, still there are not three 
omnipotents but one Omnipotent. 

The Father is God, the Son is God, the Holy 
Ghost is God ; and there are not three gods, but 
God is one. 

The Father is Lord, the Son is Lord, the Holy 
Ghost is Lord ; still there are not three but one Lord. 

As Christian truth teaches that each of the per- 
sons singly is Lord and God, so the Catholic religion 
prohibits us to say that there are three gods or three 
lords. 

The Father was made by no one ; He was neither 
created nor begotten. 

The Son is from the Father alone, not made, nor 
created, but begotten. 



CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 81 

The Holy Ghost is from the Father and the Sod, 
not made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding. 

There is, therefore, one Father, not three; one 
Son, not three ; one Holy Ghost and not three. 

And in this Trinity there is nothing before or 
after, nothing greater or less ; but all three persons 
are co-eternal and co-equal. 

So above all things, as was said before, Unity is 
to be venerated in Trinity and Trinity in Unity. 
Therefore, he who wishes to be saved must believe 
thus concerning the Trinity. 

But it is also necessary for eternal salvation that 
a person firmly believe in the Incarnation of Our 
Lord Jesus Christ. 

The right faith, therefore, is that we believe and 
confess that Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, 
is also the Son of man, He is God, begotten before 
all time of the substance of the Father, and man 
born in time of the substance of His Mother. Per- 
fect God, He is also perfect man with a rational soul 
and human flesh. Equal to the Father on account 
of His Divinity, He is less than the Father on 
account of His humanity. 

Although God and man, He is not two but one 
Christ, not one by conversion of the Divinity into 
flesh, but by God's assuming human nature ; not one 
by confusion of substance, but by the unity of 
person. For as the rational soul and body is one 
man, so God and man is one Christ, who suffered 
for our salvation, descended into hell, the third day 
6 



82 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 

He arose from the dead. He ascended into heaven, 
sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty, 
thence He shall come to judge the living and the 
dead. At His coming all men must arise with their 
bodies to render an account of their actions. The 
good will go to eternal life, the bad into eternal fire. 

This is the Catholic faith which everyone must 
faithfully and truly believe, otherwise he cannot be 
saved. 

The above is a free translation of the Athanasian 
Creed as contained in the Catholic Breviary. It is 
frequently repeated by every Catholic priest during 
the recitation of the Divine Office. It contains a 
list of things believed by the early church. It is 
one of the creeds we received from antiquity, and 
contains doctrines believed by the true church of 
God in every age and in every clime. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

THE COUNCILS OF THE EAKLY CHUKCH. 

rpHE fifteenth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles 
-*- furnishes us the first example of a council. A 
disagreement arose about the necessity of circum- 
cision. Some taught that salvation depended upon 
it. Sts. Paul and Barnabas denied its- necessity. 
It was determined to bring the matter before the 
Apostles and disciples for a decision. 

48. The Apostles and ancients assembled at 
Jerusalem in the year 51 and, after much discussion, 
Peter, the head of the Apostolic college, arose and 
decided the controversy against those clamoring for 
circumcision. 

In giving their decisions the fathers of this first 
council of the Christian Church wrote a letter to 
those guilty of wrong doing and heretical teachings 
in which they said, " It hath seemed good to the 
Holy Ghost and to us." This language shows that 
the council was held in consequence of a Divine 
Commission. Later Councils use similar language. 

This Apostolic Council served as a model for 
succeeding councils. There are various kinds of 
councils. Ecumenical or general councils are those 
to which bishops of the whole world are convoked, 

83 



84 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 

are presided over by the Pope, or his legates, and 
whose decrees, after being confirmed by the Pope, 
are binding on all Christians. 

National councils represent a whole nation, as the 
last plenary council of Baltimore. 

Provincial councils, or synods, are assemblies of 
the clergy of a diocese presided over by the bishop 
or vicar general. 

The first of these classes will be considered here. 
During the first five centuries there were four gen- 
eral or ecumenical councils, those of Nice in 325, 
Constantinople in 381, Ephesus in 431, and Chal- 
cedon in 451. 

49. The Council of Nice met in the year 325. 
St. Athanasius tells us there were 318 bishops pres- 
ent, mostly from the East. The Pope was repre- 
sented by three legates, the bishop Hosius and the 
two priests Vitus and Vincentius. 

Hosius presided in the name of the Pope. This 
council was convened by Pope Sylvester and the 
Emperor Constantine to examine Arianism. Arius 
was a learned priest of Alexandria who denied the 
Divinity of Jesus Christ. His heresy is treated 
more fully in another chapter. 

Alexander, bishop of Alexandria, and his deacon 
Athanasius, who soon after succeeded him, were 
among those who took the principal part in the pro- 
ceedings. About 20 Arian bishops were present. 

The Arian party presented a creed of their own, 
drawn up by one of their bishops, Eusebius of 
Cesarea. They evaded the main point at issue. 



CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 85 

The question to be decided was, whether Our 
Lord was God in as full a sense as the Father ; or 
whether He was a creature. The Arians said He 
was a creature ; the Catholics said He was God. 

The Catholic party drew up a creed which con- 
demned the Arian heresy and in which was inserted 
the proper word " Homoousion," consubstantial, 
showing that the Son is of the same nature as the 
Father. 

This Nicene Creed will be found among the Creeds 
of the Early Church. Arianism soon met the fate 
of all heresies. It was cut up into many sects. 

The Council of Nice passed 20 canons or laws. 
Of these, perhaps, the most important was the one 
which declares " that the Primacy, and chief honor, 
according to the Canons, be preserved to the Arch- 
bishop of ancient Rome. 77 

50. The Council of Constantinople in 381 is the 
second general council. It was convened to take 
action against Macedonius and Apollinaris, the 
former of whom denied the Divinity of the Holy 
Ghost, the latter said, Christ took from Mary a 
body but not a soul. 

This council was convened by the Emperor Theo- 
dosius, and, only the bishops of the East being 
invited, was not ecumenical at first ; but its acts and 
decrees were confirmed by the Pope and this gave it 
the character of a general council. 

Besides the condemnation of the heresies of 
Macedonius and Apollinaris, the most important 



86 CHAEACTEEISTICS OF THE EAELY CHURCH. 

act of this council was the addition, by way of 
explanation, of several clauses to the Nicene Creed, 
thus forming the Constantinopolitan Creed — the 
creed of the Roman Missal. 

To the clause " maker of all things visible and 
invisible " was added " of heaven and earth," 
against the Manicheans, who taught the doctrine of 
two principles. Photinus said the Word was not 
eternal. To combat this error was added " born 
before all ages." 

On account of the heresy of Apollinaris these 
words were inserted " by the Holy Ghost of the 
Virgin Mary." Against the heresy of Macedonius 
concerning the Holy Ghost was inserted the passage 
" the Lord and life giver." 

The creed drawn up by this Council is the Credo 
said every Sunday in the Mass. It is sometimes 
called the Nicene, sometimes the Constantinopolitan 
Creed. Both are practically the same. The Creed 
of Constantinople but explains and completes the 
Nicene Creed. 

51. The Third General Council was held at 
Ephesus in the year 431. Nestor i us, Patriarch of 
Constantinople, had denied that Mary is Mother 
of God. He said that " in Christ were two entirely 
independent elements ; that the Divine element 
belonged only to Logos, and the human element to 
the man Jesus." And, said he, " Let no one desig- 
nate the Blessed Virgin as ' Mother of God.' " 



CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 87 

Everywhere, especially in the East, great contro- 
versies arose concerning this title. Cyril, Patriarch 
of Alexandria, tried to put an end to these contro- 
versies by a pastoral letter in which he said : " As 
the mother of man is mother, not simply of his 
body but his whole person, notwithstanding that his 
soul comes from another source — as she gives birth 
not only to the body of man, but to the whole com- 
plex individual, composed essentially of a true 
union of body and soul ; so also the Blessed Virgin 
Mary, who, although she did not in any sense, give 
birth to the Divinity, by which the Word is equal 
to the Father, is, nevertheless, truly and really 
Mother of the Word, because the flesh of the Word 
was formed in her womb, and she brought into the 
world the Person of the Eternal Word, who was 
clothed with our nature." 

Nestorius paid no attention to the arguments of 
Cyril. 

Finally, with the consent of Pope Celestine, the 
Emperor Theodosius II, convoked the council. 
Cyril of Alexandria presided as Papal representa- 
tive during the sessions of this council until the 
arrival of the Pope's legates, Arcadius, Projectus 
and Philip. 

In his instructions to his legates Pope Celestine 
said: "You will in all things consult our brother, 
the bishop Cyril (who had already been made Papal 
legate), and you will perform whatever you see to be 
in his power to decide; and we command that the 



88 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 

authority of the Holy See be respected. For the 
instructions, which you have received, tell you that 
you must be present at the council ; if they come to 
a disputation you must judge among their opinions, 
and not undergo a struggle." 

In his letter to the bishops at the council the Pope 
said : " On account of our solicitude, we have sent 
to you our brother priests, the bishops, Arcadius and 
Projectus, and the priest Philip, who are of one 
mind with ourselves and who will execute what we 
have established." 

The council, which was approved by the Pope, 
after condemning the doctrine of Nestorius, agreed 
upon the following profession of faith : " As to the 
Virgin Mary, Mother of God, and the mode of the 
Incarnation, we are obliged to say that we think of 
them — not as if we would add anything to the 
Nicene Creed, or pretend to explain mysteries which 
are ineffable, but to stop the mouths of those who 
wish to attack us. 

" We declare then, that Our Lord, Jesus Christ, is 
the only Son of Cod, perfect God and perfect man, 
composed of a reasonable soul and a body ; in 
respect of His God-head begotten of the Father 
before all ages, and the same, according to the 
humanity, born in these latter days, for our salva- 
tion of the Virgin Mary ; in respect of His God- 
head consubstantial with the Father, and the same 
consubstantial with us, according to the humanity, 
for the two natures have been united, and therefore 



CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 89 

we confess one Christ, one Son, one Lord. In 
consistence with the notion of this union, without 
confusion, we confess that the Blessed Virgin is 
Mother of God y because God the Word was incarnate 
and made man, and from the very act of conception 
united to Himself the temple which He took from 
her." 

52. The Fourth General Council was held at 
Chalcedon in the year 451. It was convoked by 
the order of Pope Leo the Great and the Emperor 
Marcian for the purpose of condemning Eutychian- 
ism. 

Eutyches, abbot of a monastery in Constantinople, 
said, that after the union of the two natures in Jesus 
Christ there was but one nature, and that conse- 
quently the Deity suffered and was crucified. 

This error spread rapidly, and the council was 
convened to counteract its influence. The pope's 
legates were the bishops Paschasinus, Julian and 
Lucentius, and the priests, Boniface and Basil. 
Nearly six hundred bishops were present. 

In his letter of instruction to one of his legates 
Pope Leo says : " I have written to our brother, 
Bishop Flavian, sufficient for you and the uni- 
versal church to learn the ancient and singular 
faith which the ignorant opponent (Eutyches) has 
attacked, that which we hold as divinely delivered, 
and which we undeviatingly preach." When the 
letter to Flavian mentioned above was read in the 
council all the bishops said, " Peter has spoken 
through Leo." 



90 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 

A profession of faith was drawn up by the council 
against the errors of Eutychianism and Nestorianism, 
both of which were heresies against the Incarnation. 
The profession of faith of the Council of Chalcedon 
is as follows: " Following, therefore, the Holy 
Fathers, we all, with one voice declare that we 
ought to acknowledge one and the same Son, Our 
Lord Jesus Christ, the same perfect in God-head 
and perfect in manhood, truly God and truly man ; 
the same composed of a reasonable soul and body ; 
consubstantial with the Father in respect of the 
God-head, and consubstantial with us in respect of 
the manhood ; like unto us in all things, yet without 
sin ; begotten of the Father before all ages, in respect 
of the God-head, and the same in these last days, 
born of Mary, the Virgin, Mother of God, in respect 
of the manhood for our sake and for our salvation ; 
one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, Only -begotten, 
in two natures, without confusion, change, division, 
separation ; the difference of the natures being in 
nowise taken away by the union ; on the contrary, 
the property of each is preserved, and concurs into 
one Person and one Hypostasis ; so that He is not 
parted nor divided into two persons, but He one 
and the same, is Son and Only-begotten, God the 
Word, Our Lord Jesus Christ." 

53. From this brief review of the Four General 
Councils of the early church we see, that all of them 
were convoked or approved by the Pope ; that they 
were convened to define some doctrine already 



CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 91 

believed by the faithful, bat called in question by 
some heretic ; that when the decision was given it 
was considered final by the faithful ; and, that the 
bishops of the primitive church always considered 
the teachings of the Pope, the Bishop of Rome, 
authoritative. " Peter has spoken through Leo." 



CHAPTER IX. 

THE TRIALS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 

rpHE life of the church, like that of her Divine 
-*- Founder, has been an almost uninterrupted 
series of troubles and trials. She, too, has had her 
good Fridays, her Calvaries without number. This 
her Founder had foretold, " The world shall hate 
and persecute you." Especially is this true of the 
early church. The trials of the early church were 
internal and external. 

I. 

54. The internal trials of the early church were 
the countless heresies that sprung up in the very 
beginning. St. Paul, in his epistle to the Galatians, 
includes " heresies " among the most grievous sins, 
and St. Peter speaks of false teachers bringing 
" heresies of perdition." Ignatius, Tertullian and 
other fathers of the early church use the word as a 
term of reproach and apply it to those who choose 
false doctrines or institute sects among themselves. 

55. Gnosticism is the first heresy of any import- 
ance that arose in the Christian Church. It flourished 
in the first and second centuries after Christ. It 

92 



CHARACTEEISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 93 

was composed of a number of sects differing from 
each other in some respects. 

Gnosticism, from the Greek gnosis, knowing, 
literally means knowledge. But the Gnostics ar- 
rogated to themselves a superior knowledge, inde- 
pendent of, and superior to faith. Faith, according 
to them, was for the many, knowledge for the few. 

They abandoned faith, ridiculed the ministers of 
God, denied the teaching of creation out of nothing, 
doubted the resurrection of the body, and set at 
naught the efficacy and necessity of baptism. 
They believed that all things, material and spiritual, 
were derived from the Deity by successive emanations 
or eons, and that the Saviour was but a superior 
eon. To the Gnostic, knowledge was the passport 
to heaven. 

Simon Magus was the first Gnostic. By some 
diabolical power he succeeded in deceiving the first 
citizens of Rome. While attempting to show his 
claim to divine power by flying in the air, he was 
shown to be an impostor, when the prayers of St. 
Peter caused him to fall and perish miserably. 
Simon tried to purchase the gifts of the Holy Ghost. 
From this comes the word " Simony." 

Menander was a disciple of Simon Magus. He 
claimed to be a saviour of men. 

Saturnine, a disciple of Menander, taught his 
errors at Antioch in the beginning of the second 
century. 

All three of these heretics taught that the world 



94 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 

was made by inferior powers antagonistic to the 
Supreme Being. Simon Magus has been called the 
father of all heresies. 

Cerinthns, a heretic of this time, taught, among 
other errors, that the Word did not take upon Him- 
self a human nature. In this his heresy agreed with 
that of Simon Magus. He also taught that the Old 
Law was as binding as the New. He was a con- 
temporary of St. John. The Gnostics derived most 
of their erroneous teachings from Paganism. 

The Ebionites were a sect of heretics, whose false 
teachings were derived from Judaism. They 
acknowledged the divine mission of the Saviour, but 
contended that He was only man. 

The Ebionites were formed principally from the 
converted Essenes and Pharisees, two ascetic sects of 
the Jews, who held that the Jewish law was still 
binding on the Christians. 

The Ebionite heresy flourished during the first 
four centuries of the church. In the fifth century it 
almost entirely disappeared. Ebionite means "poor," 
and that name was probably adopted to vindicate 
their renunciation of earthly things. 

The Docetce, from Sotcelv, to seem, denied that 
Jesus Christ was true man. They attributed to 
Him an apparent but not a real humanity. Their 
heresy was just the opposite to that of the Ebionites. 

All of these heresies, the Cerinthians, the 
Ebionites and the Docetse, were more or less tinc- 
tured with Gnosticism. 



CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 95 

56. These heresies were ably combated by 
St. Peter, St. John, St. Paul, St. Clement, St. 
Irenseus and other writers and fathers of the primi- 
tive church. The beloved Disciple was especially 
conspicuous in his opposition. He was destined by 
the Almighty to evangelize those very places where 
these heretics were doing most harm. He not only 
refuted them by preaching but also by writing. 
His sublime Gospel is a refutation of their errors. 
" In the beginning was the Word, and the Word 
was with God, and the Word was God. The same 
was in the beginning with God. All things were 
made by Him .... And the Word was made flesh 
and dwelt among us." 

These words of St. John's Gospel show that the 
Word, or Son of God, was not purely human, as the 
Ebionites. said, nor iuferior to the Supreme Being, 
as the Cerinthians contended, but that He was God 
equal to His Father from all eternity, and assumed 
human nature at the time of His Incarnation. 

John's teachings and labors were specially blessed 
by God. Long after he had passed to his eternal 
reward his zealous disciples, Ignatius, Polycarp and 
others, carefully guarded and defended the faith 
against the assaults of heretics. 

57. The Montanists were the principal heretics 
of the second century. The great Tertullian was led 
astray by this heresy. 

Montanism attacked the discipline of the church, 
whereas Gnosticism attacked its dogma. The Mon- 



96 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 

tanists claimed a system of morality more perfect 
than that of the Aposlles. They kept three Lents 
and denied the power of absolving from certain 
crimes. Montanns was especially noted for his 
greed for money. 

58. Manichceism was the most noted heresy of 
the third century. Manes, its founder, was a Persian 
slave who became heir to a rich magician. In 277, 
Archelaus, bishop of Cascar, proved in a controversy 
that Manes was an impostor. 

The principal errors of the Manichees were the 
following : 1st, They condemned generation ; 2nd, 
They denied the resurrection of the body; 3d, They 
rejected the Old Testament, and some of them the 
New ; Mh, They asserted a dual principle, one good, 
the other evil ; 5th, They denied the freedom of 
man's will ; 6th, They said baptism was not necessary 
to salvation ; 7th, They believed in the transmigra- 
tion of souls. They also taught that Christ had 
only the appearance of a body ; but that He was the 
ideal light-clad soul teaching men truth. Some of 
these teachings were detestable and most unreason- 
able. 

59. Novatianism is a heresy that started about 
the middle of the third century. It derived its name 
from a Roman priest whose name was Novatian. 
Novatian enjoys the notoriety of being the first anti- 
pope. After the election of Pope St. Cornelius in 
251, Novatian had himself consecrated bishop and 
proclaimed head of the church. 



CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 97 

Novatian sent legates to Carthage. St. Cyprian, 
the archbishop, would not communicate with them. 
Cyprian wrote to all the bishops of Africa exhorting 
them to remain true to the Papacy, " the root and 
matrix of the Catholic Church. " 

The anti-pope wrote to Dionysius, bishop of 
Alexandria, sayiug, among other things, that he 
became pope with great unwillingness. Dionysius 
answered that, if he did so unwillingly, he could 
prove it by willingly renouncing the position. 

Among the errors of the Novatians were the 
denial of the power to forgive sins committed after 
baptism, and the re-baptism of their converts. In 
253 Pope Cornelius held a council at Rome which 
condemned this heresy. 

60. Samosatianism is so called from Paul of 
Samosata, who became bishop of Antioch in 262. 
His principal error was, that Christ did not exist 
before His birth in the stable of Bethlehem. 

61. Donatism is a heresy that arose in North 
Africa in the fourth century and claimed that the 
true church consisted only of saints. All, except 
themselves, had fallen away from purity of doc- 
trine. They claimed that they alone could validly 
baptize. 

Donatus taught that the Father was greater than 
the Son, and the Son greater than the Holy Ghost. 
His followers, however, did not generally imbibe 
this doctrine. 

Donatus endeavored to usurp the see of Carthage 
7 



98 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 

and have the consecration of its true bishop, Cse- 
cilian, declared null and void. 

At a council held in the Lateran palace, Rome, 
Csecilian was declared legitimate bishop of Carthage 
and Donatus was condemned. This was in the year 
313. But the Donatists were not satisfied, and in 
314 a council held at Aries again declared Csecilian 
the legitimate bishop of Carthage. 

The Donatists split up into many sects and con- 
tinued to harass the church for about three centuries. 
St. Augustine, the great bishop of Hippo, was their 
principal opponent. In 41 1 he met 279 of their bish- 
ops in conference at Carthage. Owing to the ability 
and vigor of the great St. Augustine the Donatist 
heresy was vanquished and after a time vanished 
from the earth. 

62. Arius, a priest of Alexandria, in the begin- 
ning of the fourth century, taught that the Son of 
God was distinct from the Father in person and 
nature. In other words, he denied the Divinity of 
Jesus Christ. He was an ancient rationalist. The 
rationalists of to-day deny Our Saviour's Divinity. 
His principal doctrine was, that the Son of God is a 
creature. It agreed with the teaching of Gnosticism 
and Manich seism that the Son is inferior to the 
Father. 

Arius was a Libyan by birth. He began his 
heretical teaching in Alexandria about the year 320. 
We are told that the bishop of Alexandria was 
speaking to his priests on the Trinity in Unity, 



CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 99 

when Arius, who was distinguished for his learning, 
contradicted him and said that since the Son was 
begotten, He must have had "a beginning of exist- 
ence, being made out of nothing like other creatures." 
He also said that the Son was liable to sin in His 
own nature. He denied that the Son was from the 
substance of the Father. 

The early fathers had taught that there is but one 
God, that the Son is God, and that the Son is dis- 
tinct from the Father. But Arius asserted that the 
Son of God is a creature who existed before all ages, 
yet was not co-eternal with the Father. 

Arius was very much aided in spreading his 
heresy by Constantia, sister of the Emperor Con- 
stantine. They tried to induce the emperor to favor 
the heresiarch. He decided to request Pope Syl- 
vester to convoke a general council. In the year 
325 the first general council was convened at Nice. 
Arius and his heresy were condemned. 

Arianism, like all other heresies, was soon divided 
into many sects. The principal of these were the 
Anomoeians, who contended that the Son was 
dissimilar to the Father ; and the Semi-Arians, who 
said that the Son was of a similar nature but not of 
the same nature as the Father. 

63. Pelagianism taught that Adam's sin was not 
transmitted to his posterity. Pelagius preached at 
Rome and various other places in the beginning of 
the fifth century, denying original sin and the 
necessity of grace. 



100 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 

St. Augustine, amongst others, combated the 
teaching of Pelagius in his works, u De Gestis 
Pelagii," " De Gratia Christi," etc. 

Pelagius was a monk born in Britain. While in 
Rome, about the year 400, he was joined by Celestius, 
another monk. Owing to the activity and ability 
of St. Augustine their heresy did not make much 
headway, and they soon found an asylum at Con- 
stantinople with Nestorius. The Council of Ephesus 
condemned Pelagianism with Nestorianism. 

64. Nestorianism held that there are two persons 
as well as two natures in Jesus Christ. 

Nestorius was born in Syria, educated at Antioch, 
where he entered a monastery, became a priest, and 
lived a strict life. In 428 he became bishop of 
Constantinople. 

In a sermon preached about this time Nestorius 
objected to the title of Mother of God. "Let no 
one," he said, " designate the Blessed Virgin as 
Mother of God." 

Cyril, Patriarch of Alexandria, combated this 
heresy. What Athanasius did in counteracting the 
evils of Arianism, what Augustine did against 
Pelagianism, that Cyril did against Nestorianism. 
Finally the Council of Ephesus was convoked by 
the Pope in 431 and Mary was declared Mother of 
God. 

65. Eutychianism taught that Christ consisted 
of but one nature. 

This heresy takes its name from Eutyches, an 



CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 101 

abbot of a monastery at Constantinople. Eutychians 
are sometimes called Monophysites. 

They were condemned by the Council of Chalce- 
don in 451. This council taught that in Christ 
there are two natures, the nature of God and the 
nature of man. Both Eutychianism and JSestorianism 
aimed direct blows at the Incarnation. 

II. 

The external trials of the early church were the 
various persecutions waged against her. " If they 
have persecuted Me/' our Lord said, u they will 
also persecute you." 

66. The Jews were the first persecutors of the 
early Christians. Having crucified the Master, they 
waged a relentless warfare against the disciples. 
They forbade them to preach, cast them into prison, 
scourged them and put them to death. They stoned 
St. Stephen to death, murdered St. James, the first 
bishop of Jerusalem, and sent St. Paul in chains to 
Cesarea. The persecution, during which St. Stephen, 
the first Christian martyr, was put to death, occurred 
the year after Our Lord's crucifixion. During this 
persecution, it is said, about two thousand Christians 
were martyred. The Jews continued the persecution 
of the Christians until the Romans, under Titus, 
destroyed the city of Jerusalem in the year 70, killed 
thousands of the citizens, carried others into captivity 
and scattered the remainder of the first persecutors 
of the early church. 



102 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHtJRCH. 

The persecutions waged by the Jews against the 
Christians were insignificant when compared with 
the cruel and widespread Roman persecutions. Dur- 
ing the first three centuries of Christianity, the 
Roman emperors waged a continual and relentless 
warfare against the Christians. 

There were ten cruel general persecutions. 
History tells us of ten emperors who were the prin- 
cipal persecutors: Nero, Domitian, Trajan, Adrian, 
Marcus Aurelius, Septimius Severus, Maximin, 
Decius, Valerian and Diocletian. 

67. Under Nhro, A. D. 37 to 68, occurred the 
first general persecution of the Christians. In the 
year 64, they were falsely accused of having set fire 
to the city. On this account they were bitterly 
persecuted. Some were cast into the Tiber, others 
torn to pieces by wild beasts, others beheaded or 
crucified, and still others, covered with pitch, were 
used as torches to light the imperial gardens. It 
was during this persecution, that St. Paul was 
beheaded and St. Peter crucified, head downward, 
in the year 67. 

Vespasian, the successor of Nero, did not perse- 
cute the Christians. 

68. The second general persecution was under 
Domitian, A. D. 81 to 96. It was during this per- 
secution that St. John, after being cast into a kettle 
of boiling oil and coming out unharmed, was ban- 
ished to the Island of Patmos. 

These two persecutions were not so widespread as 
succeeding ones. 



CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 103 

The Roman officials at first confounded Christi- 
anity with Judaism. The Jews took pains to correct 
this erroneous impression, and as Christianity became 
better understood, its incompatibility with Pagan 
ideas stood out in bold relief. Various charges 
were brought against them. They were called 
traitors, magicians and atheists. 

69. Under Trajan, successor of Nerva, occurred 
the third persecution. Trajan was emperor from A. 
D. 98 to 117. St. Ignatius, bishop of Antioch, was 
the most illustrious martyr of this persecution. His 
martyrdom occurred about the year 117. Three 
popes suffered martyrdom under Trajan, Sts. Clem- 
ent, Evaristus and Alexander. Another illustrious 
victim of this persecution was St. Simeon, bishop of 
Jerusalem. He was the second bishop of that see, 
being the immediate successor of the Apostle St. 
James the Less. Simeon was crucified in the year 
108. He was 120 years old at the time of his 
martyrdom. 

Trajan ordered that if any one denied that he was 
a Christian, and offered sacrifice to the gods, he was to 
be pardoned. Those who refused to sacrifice were 
executed as followers of an unlawful religion. 

"If the Tiber overflows," Tertullian says, " if the 
Nile does not overflow, if there is a drought, an 
earthquake, a scarcity, or a pestilence, straightway 
the people cry, ' The Christians to the lions.' " 

70. The fourth persecution was that under 
Adrian, who ruled from 117 to 138. Pope St. 



104 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 

Telesphorus was the most illustrious martyr of this 
persecution. St. Symphorosa, her seven sons, and a 
large number of martyrs yielded up their lives 
during the fourth persecution. 

71 . Marcus Aureli us succeeded his father-in-law, 
the Emperor Antoninus Pius. During the reign of 
Marcus Aurelius from 161 to 180 occurred the fifth 
persecution. This emperor was, perhaps, the most 
systematic and cruel of the persecutors of the Chris- 
tians. A philosopher, a warrior and an author, he 
failed to understand the beauty of the Christian 
religion. 

His "Meditations" breathe a somewhat Christian 
spirit, as " It is against its will that the soul is 
deprived of virtue. The remembrance of this will 
make you more gentle to all mankind .... Re- 
member that patience was given you to practice for 
men's good." Notwithstanding his beautiful 
thoughts, he bitterly persecuted the Christians in 
Asia, in Gaul, and in other portions of the empire. 

During this reign occurred the martyrdom of St. 
Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna, in the year 1 69. The 
Roman official tried to make Polycarp renounce his 
religion, but the saint remained firm. " What harm 
is it," said the judge, "to call the emperor your 
Lord and offer sacrifice to save your life?" "I 
will not do it," said the noble saint. 

Then the people, recognizing him, cried out : " It 
is the teacher of Asia. It is the father of the 
Christians. It is the destroyer of our gods. It is 



CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 105 

he who has taught so many others to abjure the 
religion of the state." 

The judge once more exhorted Polycarp to obey 
the emperor's edicts and to speak against Jesus 
Christ. The holy bishop indignantly replied, "Four 
score years I have served Jesus Christ, and He has 
never done me any harm ; on the contrary He has 
loaded me with favors, and you would have me 
speak against Him. Once more I tell you I am a 
Christian. That is. my religion." These courageous 
words so enraged the emperor's officers, that they 
shortly afterwards had him cast into a fire. The 
flames did not harm him. This miracle so enraged 
the governor, that he had the holy man stabbed with 
a dagger. St. Polycarp's is but an example of many 
martyrdoms of these cruel times. 

72. Septimius Severus governed from 193 to 211. 
During his reign was waged the sixth persecution. 
At the beginning of his reign he protected the 
Christians. Towards its close, however, there was 
a change. This persecution was most severe in 
Africa. At Alexandria, Leonides, the father of 
Origen, was put to death, and the son, a mere youth, 
almost shared the same fate. Hundreds were put to 
death exclaiming, "We die joyfully for Christ, Our 
Lord." 

During this persecution Sts. Perpetua and Felici- 
tas, two young women or girls, and countless others 
were martyred at Carthage. 

73. The seventh persecution was during the 



106 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 

reigD of Maximin of Thrace, who ruled from 
235 to 238. Maximin was the son of a Goth whom 
the soldiers had proclaimed emperor after the assas- 
sination of Alexander Severus in Gaul. 

The household of Alexander Severus contained 
many Christians. Against these Maximin first 
vented his hatred. Then he turned his attention 
towards the ministers of religion, believing that if 
the shepherds were taken away the flock would soon 
scatter. 

74. The next persecution was during the reign 
of Decius, 249 to 251. The church suffered more 
severely during this reign than at any other time. 

Decius undertook the entire suppression of 
Christianity. In the year 250 he issued an edict 
requiring all Christians to renounce their religion 
and follow the religious ceremonies of the Romans. 

At first death was inflicted principally upon 
bishops, who were looked upon as ringleaders. 
Fabianus, bishop of Rome, was put to death. He 
was succeeded by Pope Cornelius, whom Lucian 
succeeded. Both of these, like so many of their 
predecessors, suffered martyrdom. Besides these 
three popes, the noted virgins Victoria, Agatha, 
Anatolia, and great numbers of other Christians, 
perished under .the most frightful tortures. 

In this persecution the persecutors sought not so 
much the death as the apostasy of the Christians. 
To attain this object, frightful and rigorous tortures 
were applied everywhere. While many were mar- 
tyred, some apostatized. 



Characteristics of the early church. 107 

St. Gregory of Nyssa says : " This emperor 
ordered the prefect to force the Christians by terror 
and by every kind of torture to the worship of the 
gods." 

On account of the fearful tortures resorted to, this 
is the only persecution that furnishes any number of 
Christians who became apostates. 

75. The ninth persecution was under the emperor 
Valerian, 253 to 260. In 257 this emperor issued his 
first edict against the Christians. This edict forbade 
the assembly of Christians and threatened those who 
disobeyed with imprisonment and other punishments. 
Another edict ordered all bishops, priests and 
deacons to be beheaded ; it also ordered the confisca- 
tion of the property of Christians, and, if they did 
not abandon their religion, they were to be arrested 
and put to death. 

Pope St. Sixtus II., bishop of Rome ; his deacon, 
Lawrence ; St. Cyprian, bishop of Carthage ; Fruc- 
tuosa, bishop of Tarragona, and many others, were 
victims of this cruel order. 

Pope Sixtus was arrested while celebrating Mass 
in the catacombs. After his sentence he was brought 
back to the catacombs and beheaded on the spot 
where a short time before he had offered up the 
Holy Sacrifice. 

76. After an interval of about forty years of 
peace, the tenth and last general persecution against 
the Christians broke out. This persecution began 
in the year 303 under Diocletian, who was emperor 
from 284 to 305. 



108 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 

Eusebius tells us in the eighth book of his history 
of the increasing numbers, wealth and influence of 
the Christians ; of their valuable services to the 
emperor ; and of the costly churches they were 
erecting in every city. He also tells us that Galerius, 
who, with Constantius Chlorus, assisted the emperor 
as Caesars, filled the mind of Diocletian with hatred 
against the Christians, and convinced him, that the 
tendency of Christianity was opposed to the welfare 
of the Roman empire. 

Diocletian was finally persuaded to issue an edict 
against the Christians. He first ordered the 
destruction of Christian churches and Scriptures. 
Afterwards he turned his attention to the clergy and 
faithful. They were arrested, cast into prison, tor- 
tured and put to death. Many were hung up by 
the feet and fires built under them. Others had 
their noses and ears cut off, their eyes and tongues 
torn out, melted lead poured over them and their 
bodies cut in pieces. 

The Theban Legion suffered martyrdom during 
this persecution. This noble band of heroes was 
recruited from the Thebais in Egypt. With their 
leader, Mauritius, they incurred the anger of the 
tyrant by refusing to persecute the Christians. 
Other illustrious victims of this persecution were 
St. Sebastian, a Roman officer, who suffered martyr- 
dom by being pierced with arrows; and Sts. Agnes, 
Lucy and Anastasia. Lactantius, who lived from 
260 to 325, and was a witness of what he writes, 



CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 109 

savs in the "Deaths of Persecutors : " " Diocletian, 
who always wishes to pass for intelligent and astute, 
inflamed with anger, immediately began to cut his 
familiars to pieces. He sat in judgment and burned 
the innocent with fire .... Persons of every age 
and sex were thrust into the flames, not merely one 
at a time, for so great was the multitude that they 
were collected into a heap and a fire built around 
them." 

77. The accession of the Emperor Constantine 
and his conversion in the beginning of the fourth 
century practically ended the persecutions. 

From this brief sketch of the principal persecu- 
tions we see that all the powers of earth and •hell 
were united in trying to destroy the early church. 
Nevertheless Christianity grew, strengthened and 
expanded while the proud Roman empire was 
destined to destruction. Having spent its force in 
trying to destroy the Christians, it met its punish- 
ment. Hordes of northern barbarians overran the 
empire with fire and sword in 476 and dethroned 
Romulus Augustulus, the last emperor of the West. 



CHAPTER X. 

THE TRIUMPHS OF THE EAELY CHURCH. 

rriHE darkest trials that harassed the early church 
-*- were, as we have seen, caused by heresy and 
persecution. The church triumphed over both. A 
teacher of error arose. His new teaching attracted 
the attention of multitudes and drew them away 
from the truth. 

The successor of St. Peter summoned the bishops 
of the church, who, after discussing the new teach- 
ing, condemned the heresy. Unity and peace fol- 
lowed, for all recognized the voice of Peter in the 
voice of her Pontiff. (I.) The church triumphed in 
her pontiffs. 

Persecution was waged against God's people. 
Strengthened by the Master, they were steadfast. 
The blood of the Christians became the seed of the 
church. (II.) The church triumphed in her martyrs. 

I. 

The Triumphs of the Ea.rly Church in 
Her Pontiffs. 

78. In treating of the councils of the early 
church, we saw that the Pope convoked the general 
110 



CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. Ill 

councils, presided over them in person or by his 
representative, and confirmed their decrees as su- 
preme head of the Catholic church. 

The Pope was always believed to be the successor 
of St. Peter, whom Christ made head of the church. 

St. Peter, the First Pope. 

79. All the writers of the first five centuries held 
that Peter occupied the first place among the 
apostles. Tertullian says that Peter was the rock 
upon which Christ built His church and that Christ 
left the keys to him and through him to the church. 
Peter, then, is the source of jurisdiction in the church. 
St. Cyprian speaks of " Peter, on whom Christ 
built His church and from whom He instituted and 
showed the origin of unity." Irensens, bishop of 
Lyons, in the beginning of the third century, a 
disciple of St. Poly carp, who was a disciple of St. 
John the Apostle, says that the Roman church was 
" the greatest, most ancient, known to all, founded 
and constituted by the most glorious Apostles Peter 
and Paul. Having built and founded the church 
of Rome, the blessed Apostles entrusted to Linus 
the administration of the episcopacy." 

St. Linus, the Second Pope. 

80. Linus, then, was the first successor of St. 
Peter as bishop of Rome and head of the church. 



112 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 

The words of Irenseus, just quoted, as well as the 
writings of Eusebius and others, assure us of this 
fact. After St. Peter's martyrdom, in the year 67, 
Linus succeeded him and governed the church until* 
the year 78, about twelve years. St. Linus suffered 
martyrdom and his name is mentioned among the 
martyrs in the canon of the Mass. He was buried 
near St. Peter's tomb on the Vatican hill. Linus 
was distinguished for his humility, meekness and 
charity. 

St. Cletus, the Third Pope. 

81. Liu us was succeeded by Cletus, who governed 
the church from the year 78 to the year 90. He 
suffered martyrdom and, like his predecessor, his 
name is in the canon of the Mass, which comes down 
to us from Apostolic times. He was buried near 
St. Linus. Some say that Cletus and Anacletus 
were the same person. There is little doubt, how- 
ever, that they are two separate and distinct popes, 
Cletus reigning from 78 to 90, before Clement, 
and Anacletus, succeeding Clement, governed the 
church of God from the year 100 to the year of Our 
Lord 112. 

Mention is made of these early popes to show the 
line of succession in the first and second centuries. 
The early fathers believed in the primacy of Peter. 
They also held that the pope, or bishop of Rome, is 
his successor and that the Roman church is the 
" Chair of Peter." 



CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 113 

St. Irenseus, in naming the successor of St. Peter, 
begins with Linus, and says that the faithful every- 
where must agree with the teaching of the Roman 
see. 

St. Augustine thus writes to the Donatists : 
" Come, my brethren, if you wish to be grafted in 
the vine .... Reckon up the bishops even from 
the very see of Peter. That is the rock which the 
haughty gates of hell do not overcome/' 

During these early ages of the church appeals 
were sent to the Pope from every part of the world. 
He sent legates to every part of Christendom, and, 
after the conversion of Constantine, all governments 
recognized the authority and primacy of the pope of 
Rome. 

St. Leo the Great. 

82. Perhaps the greatest pope of the first five 
centuries was Leo the Great, who governed the 
church from 440 to 461 A. D. Leo was a man of 
strong character and was a zealous defender of God's 
church. When his letter to Flavian was read at the 
Council of Chalcedon the fathers exclaimed, "Peter 
has spoken by the mouth of Leo." This expression 
clearly shows the belief of the early church. 

St. Leo wrote one hundred and forty-one epistles 
on faith and discipline. His one hundred and one 
sermons that remain are models of zeal and elo- 
quence. 

His writings not only gained many victories for 
8 



114 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 

the church of his age, but served as a bulwark 
against succeeding heresies. He converted many 
pagans and infidels. He triumphed over the 
Mauichees, the Arians, the Nestorians, the Euty- 
chians and the Donatists. He clearly explained the 
mystery of the Incarnation and confounded the 
Eutychians by proving that Christ had a true body. 

From his writings we learn that the Christians 
of his day believed in the characteristic Catholic 
doctrines and practices concerning the Holy Sacrifice 
of the Mass, the Holy Eucharist, the praying to 
saints, the honoring of relics, the fast of Lent, the 
confession of sin, the use of lights during Mass and 
other religious ceremonies, and the supremacy of 
St. Peter and his successor, the pope. 

One of St. Leo's great triumphs was won over 
Attila, the leader of the hordes of Northern barba- 
rians, who threatened Rome with destruction. Attila 
was king of the Huns, one of the fiercest of the 
northern nations. It included all the" tribes from 
the Rhine to the Volga. He called himself " The 
Scourge of God." His subjects feared him, his 
enemies trembled when his name was mentioned. 
Having murdered his brother in the year 444, he 
invaded Illyria and all the region about the Black 
Sea. With an army of five hundred thousand men 
he spread death and destruction everywhere. Seventy 
of the most flourishing cities in Thrace, Macedonia, 
and Greece were destroyed, their inhabitants mur- 
dered and the surrounding country laid waste. 



CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 115 

He invaded Italy about the year 452, destroyed 
Aquileia, Padua, Vicenza, Verona and other places, 
pillaged Milan and Pavia and advanced upon Rome. 
Pope Leo I. visited the terrible barbarian in his 
camp, overawed him by his sacred authority, 
persuaded him to withdraw his barbarian hordes 
from the vicinity and saved Rome from ruin and 
desolation. 

To have checked the terrible Attila, and to have 
saved Rome was one of the greatest glories of St. 
Leo's pontificate. 

Leo was but one of a long list of grand and heroic 
men whom God raised up to rule His church in its 
infancy. A list of all the popes of the first five 
centuries will be found at the close of this chapter. 

Peter received all the prerogatives of the primacy 
from his Master. He also received the power to 
confer these prerogatives and privileges on his'suc- 
cessors. The Apostolic Fathers are witnesses to the 
primacy of Peter. St. Clement of Rome in the first 
century is an example of it. St. Ignatius, bishop of 
Antioch, in the second century, recognizes the 
primacy of the successor of St. Peter, as does St. 
Cyprian in the third, St. Athanasius in the fourth 
and St. Augustine in the fifth century. 

St. Cyprian calls the church of Rome the first 
church, the bishop of Rome the first bishop and 
says, " To be united with the see of Rome is to be 
united with the Catholic Church .... The church 
is built upon Peter for the sake of unity." This 



116 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 

primacy of the pope, as well as the unity of the 
church, was the cause of many signal triumphs of 
the early church. 

II. 

The Church triumphed in Her Martyrs. 

83. We have seen the frightful torments under- 
gone by the Christians during the various persecu- 
tions. The Christians bore these punishments 
patiently. They were but following in the foot- 
steps of their Master. " The disciple is not above 
his Master," and they were happy when suffering 
torture, even martyrdom, for Christ's sake. Nothing 
is more interesting, nothing more instructive, noth- 
ing more inspiring than the example of the heroic 
courage of the martyrs. Each anniversary of their 
death the church reminds us of their virtues in the 
celebration of their feasts. 

Here we will recall some of the trials, sufferings 
and triumphs of a few of those heroic souls in the 
persecutions of the primitive church. 

St. Stephen. 

84. We could not well speak of the martyrs 
without a brief mention of St. Stephen, the first 
martyr. The seventh chapter of the Acts of the 
Apostles tells us the story of his triumphant victory. 

The Apostles had chosen him as a man full of 



CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 117 

faith and the Holy Ghost, and had ordained him 
deacon of the church. To show the truth he 
preached, he 'worked great signs and wonders. 
Some of the Jews disputed with him. Being defeated 
in their disputation, they brought him before the 
council. Stephen said to the high priest among 
other things : " You stiff-necked and uncircumcised 
in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Ghost, 
as your fathers did so you do also. Which of the 
prophets have not your fathers persecuted? And 
they have slain them who foretold the coming of the 
Just One, of whom you have been now the betrayers 
and murderers, who have received the law by the 
disposition of angels and have not kept it." Hear- 
ing this the Jews were very angry, and Stephen, 
raising his eyes, saw Jesus standing at the right 
hand of God and said, " Behold, I see the heavens 
opened and the Son of Man standing at the right 
hand of God." 

They rushed upon him, dragged him outside 
the city and stoned him to death while he said, 

" Lord Jesus, receive my spirit Lord, lay 

not this sin to their charge. And when he had said 
this, he fell asleep in the Lord." 

This brief history of the heroic martyrdom of St. 
Stephen manifests his wonderful patience and 
charity. These two virtues, deeply imbedded in his 
heart, were the cause of his great triumph over his 
cruel executioners. Notwithstanding his great suf- 
fering, he forgave his murderers. Imitating his 



118 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 

Divine Model, dying in torments, he raised his eyes 
to heaven and prayed for his enemies : " Lord, lay 
not this sin to their charge." 

St. Stephen was the first martyr of the New Law. 
He had not the example of others to cheer him. 
Hence his martyrdom was more heroic, his death 
more glorious and his triumph more noticeable than 
that of others, who followed upon the same blood- 
stained path. 

When Stephen was put to death Saul was a will- 
ing witness. Saul, the persecutor of God's church, 
shortly aft#r that time began to be a changed man. 
St. Stephen's patience, charity and prayers, were a 
potent cause of the conversion of St. Paul. 

Stephen was one of the first Jewish converts. He 
was one of the first seven deacons ordained by the 
Apostles. His zeal, patience, meekness, charity and 
forgiving spirit have been a fruitful source of many 
triumphs for God's church. 

St. Domatilla. 

85. One of the most illustrious of the virgin 
martyrs of the first century was St. Flavia Dom- 
atilla. She was a niece of the emperor Domitian and 
also of St. Flavius Clemens. Flavius Clemens was 
a consul under Domitian and was put to death by 
that cruel emperor. Domitian banished Domatilla 
on account of her faith. Because she refused to 
sacrifice to idols she was burnt to death under Trajan 



CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 119 

about the year 98. There is a cemetery excavated 
on her property near Rome called the Catacomb of 
St. Domatilla. 

Domatilla was of royal lineage. She belonged to 
the Flavian family, to which the emperors Ves- 
pasian, Donritian and other royal personages 
belonged. Notwithstanding her high worldly posi- 
tion she was happy only when suffering for virtue. 
She had all the honors the world can offer, she had 
all the luxuries money can buy, they did not satisfy 
her cravings for happiness. 

Triumphing over the allurements of the world, its 
honors, its wealth and its pleasures, she became an 
humble servant of God here in order that she might 
rule with Him hereafter. 

St. Eustachius. 

86. St. Eustachius, who was called Placidus before 
his conversion, was a noble Roman general. One 
day while hunting with some officers, the hunters saw 
a number of beautiful stags. Placidus pursued one 
which was larger and more beautiful than the others. 
In the excitement of the chase he was soon separated 
from his companions. In a deep ravine he came near 
the stag and was surprised to see an image of the cruci- 
fixion shining in dazzling light between its branching 
horns. Amazed and awestricken, he heard a voice, 
saying : " Placidus, why dost thou follow me ? I am 
Christ, whom thou servest without knowing. Thy 



120 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 

charity and deeds of benevolence to the poor have 
stood before Me and have made Me follow thee with 
My mercy. " Placidus could not remove his eyes 
from the wonderful vision. Although he heard, he 
did not understand and he asked, " Who speaks?" 
Again he heard these words: "I am Jesus Christ, 
who created heaven and earth out of nothing, who 
created man, and for his redemption appeared in 
human flesh, was crucified and rose the third day 
from the dead. Go, Placidus, to the city and seek 
the chief pastor of the Christians and be baptized." 

Placidus now understood all. He fell upon his 
knees in silent adoration and grateful prayer. 
Rising, like Paul on the way to Damascus, with 
courage to embrace and proclaim the truth, he 
returned to the city. After relating to his wife the 
story of the wonderful vision and his conversion, he 
started with her and their two children, three and 
five years old, for the catacombs in search of the 
chief bishop of God's church. Pope Anacletus ruled 
God's church at this time. They found him at the 
Catacomb of St. Priscilla on the Salarian Way. 
With joy and gratitude the holy pope baptized the 
Roman general and his family. Placidus took the 
name Eustachius, his wife was called Theopista, and 
his children Agapius and Theophiston. 

After his baptism, Eustachius met with misfortune, 
and to escape suffering and persecution, fled with his 
family to Egypt. Arriving in Africa, the wicked 
captain kept his wife a captive, and sent him on 



CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 121 

shore with his two little children. This was a cruel 
blow. 

He had other bitter trials to endure. Travelling 
into the interior of the country, he came to a river 
swollen by late rains. Leaving one child on the 
shore, he started across with the other. Before he 
reached the opposite bank, attracted by cries, he 
turned and saw an enormous lion carrying off the 
older child. Leaving the younger on the bank he 
returned to pursue the forest king. Scarcely was he 
out of the stream, when the younger boy was seized 
by a wolf. So paralyzed was he by the sight, that 
he could not move a step. He knelt and asked God 
for patience to bear his trials. 

Having committed his family to God he 
determined to bear manfully all his troubles. He 
spent some years unknown working as a laborer on 
a farm. All these years he spent in labor, prayer 
and solitude. His faith alone sustained him. 

Fifteen years passed. The Roman empire was 
about to go to war with Persia. The emperor 
Trajan was looking for some one to command his 
warlike legions. He thought of Placidus, who was 
always victorious in the past. But where was he? 
Rumor said he still lived. Two veterans, Antiochus 
and Achacius, started to search for Placidus. They 
were about to give up the search, when, one morning, 
they came to a beautiful, well-kept farm. They 
inquired if a Roman citizen named Placidus lived 
in these parts. Something in the noble bearing and 



122 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 

majestic appearance of the old man, whom they 
addressed, reminded them of their general. Mutual 
recognitions followed. 

Placid us returned to lead the Roman army again 
to victory. Before victory perched upon the banners 
of the Roman soldiers, they were led into an ambus- 
cade and were saved by the prompt action of two 
Numidian youths. The general made these cour- 
ageous young men captains, and kept them near 
him. The strange part of this story is that the two 
youths were the sons of Placidus, the elder of whom 
was saved by shepherds from being devoured by the 
lion, and the younger was taken from the jaws of 
the wolf by some farmers. Placidus also had the 
happiness of being restored to the arms of his wife, 
Theopista. 

About this time Trajan died and Adrian was 
elected emperor by the army. 

The general was summoned to Rome. The em- 
peror went to meet the general and embraced him. 
A great procession was formed and the general, with 
his family in a gilt chariot drawn by four white 
horses, followed the army. All hailed Placidus as 
the saviour of the empire. 

When they came to the temple of Jupiter, 
Placidus (Eustachius) and his family refused to 
enter. They would not sacrifice. The shouts of 
applause were changed to cries of " Death to 
Christians." 

The noble Eustachius, the victorious general, was 



CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 123 

brought before Adrian. When asked by the em- 
peror why he did not sacrifice, Eustachius replied, 
" I am a Christian and adore only the true God." 
He and his family were confined that night in the 
Mamertine prison. The next morning, September 
20, in the year 120, they were taken to the Coliseum. 

They were led into the arena in chains, and two 
lions and two bears let loose. The wild beasts 
would not touch the martyrs. This so enraged 
Adrian that he ordered the martyrs to be placed in 
a bronze bull and slowly consumed by fire. In this 
way did St. Eustachius and his family receive the 
crown of martyrdom. 

Eustachius had often triumphed with the Roman 
army. But the grandest triumph of that noble 
hero was that which closed his earthly career in the 
Coliseum and ushered in the triumph which shall 
be eternal. 

A portion of this story of St. Eustachius is prob- 
ably legendary. Its main features, however, such 
as his conversion and the martyrdom of himself, 
his wife and his two sons under Adrian, seem to 
stand the test of strict examination. 

St. Felicitas. 

87. St. Felicitas was a pious Christian widow, 
who, with her seven sons, suffered martyrdom in the 
year 150. After her husband's death, she spent her 
time in praying, fasting, and performing works of 



124 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 

charity. Her noble example caused many conver- 
sions. This enraged the heathen priests, who com- 
plained of her to the emperor. 

The prefect of Rome, at the command of the 
emperor, Antoninus, had her and her seven sons 
arrested. He tried to induce her to sacrifice to the 
false gods, and told her, that, if she did not, she and 
her sons would be severely punished. She answered : 
"Do not think to frighten me by threats, nor win 
me by fair speeches. The Spirit of God will make 
me victorious over your assaults. My children will 
live eternally with Christ, if faithful to Him." 

Her sons were cruelly scourged with whips and 
clubs, and put to death in various ways, exclaiming, 
" I confide in my Lord Jesus Christ. . . . There 
is only one God. . . . You will never be able to 
overcome our faith. ... All who do not confess 
Christ to be the true God, shall be cast into eternal 
flames." 

St. Felicitas was more than a martyr. She was a 
martyr in each of her seven dear sons martyred 
before her eyes. She rejoiced to offer her children 
and herself as a sacrifice to Christ. The cburch 
celebrates their triumphal entry into heaven on 
July 10. 

St Lawrence. 

88. This saint was born in Rome, about the 
beginning of the third century, and suffered mar- 
tyrdom, August 10, 258, during the persecution of 



CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 125 

Valerian. He was one of the seven deacons of 
Rome, under Pope Sixtus I. Lawrence had charge 
of the treasury of the church, and also looked after 
the welfare of the poor widows and orphans. He 
was summoned before the tribunal of the emperor, 
and ordered to give up the treasures of the church. 
He distributed all the money and riches in his pos- 
session among the poor. Afterwards he collected 
together the poor, the sick, and the orphans, and 
brought them to the authorities, declaring that they 
were his treasures. The prefect was so enraged at 
this that he ordered Lawrence to be put to death by 
slow degrees. He caused a great gridiron to be 
prepared, live coals to be thrown under it, and 
Lawrence to be bound over this slow fire until his 
flesh was broiled. After burning for some time, the 
saint said to the judge, "Let my body be turned : 
one side is broiled enough. " The martyr prayed 
continually to God for patience and resignation. 
His heroic example caused many conversions. His 
glorious triumph the whole church celebrates each 
year with great joy and devotion. 

St. Cecilia. 

89. St. Cecilia is one of the most illustrious of 
the saints. She is the patroness of sacred music. 
She, even in that early age, often joined instru- 
mental with vocal music in sounding God's praises. 
Although she had made a vow to consecrate her 



126 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 

life to religion, she was compelled by her parents to 
many a noble Roman youth, named Valerian. Her 
beautiful life and her firm faith converted Valerian 
and his brother Tiburtius. They were both beheaded 
for their religion. Some days afterward Cecilia 
finished her glorious triumph. Her martyrdom, by 
being beheaded after she had been almost suffocated 
for three days, occurred on Nov. 22, 230. 

St. Agnes. 

90. One of the most attractive of God's saints 
is the little St. Agnes. She suffered martyrdom 
Jan. 21, 304. With God's immaculate Mother, 
she is considered a special patroness of holy purity. 
She was but about twelve years old when she was 
commanded to offer incense. Instead of obeying, 
she made the sign of the cross. She was arrested 
and subjected to the most horrible tortures. A 
pagan youth, who attempted improper liberties, was 
stricken blind. She was condemned to be beheaded. 
Loaded with chains, she was led to the place of exe- 
cution. The hardened spectators could not restrain 
their tears when they saw so young and tender a 
virgin so cruelly treated. After a brief prayer, 
Agnes bowed her head in silent adoration of God. 
With one stroke the executioner severed her head 
from her body. Rome, whose wealthiest young 
noblemen were ready to throw themselves and their 
riches at her feet, was the scene of the noble triumph 



CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 127 

of this youthful virgin, who would have no other 
spouse but Jesus Christ. 

St Pancr alius. 

91. This saint also suffered martyrdom under 
Diocletian about the 12th of May, 304. He was 
only 14 years old at the time of his death. When 
asked by the representative of the Roman emperor 
who he was, the noble youth, like so many of his 
fellow-martyrs, answered by making the sign of 
the cross. The judge understood its meaning. It 
told him that the youth was a follower of Him who 
died upon the cross ; and filled with anger, he 
ordered the decapitation of the heroic boy. 

From these brief sketches of a few of the early 
martyrs, we learn that their fidelity, patience, piety, 
and heroism were confined to no age, sex, or condi- 
tion of life. The fragile virgin, the tender youth, 
the poor laborer, the rich nobleman, and the learned 
priest or bishop, all vied with each other in showing 
their devotion to their Lord and Saviour. Fire and 
sword, gibbet and savage beasts were used to torture 
and kill these innocent victims. 

As Christ by His death on the cross won a victory 
over the world, so His martyrs in every age have 
repeated this triumph. Each death of a martyr is 
a grand and glorious triumph for the church. No 
period of history is more consoling, tender, and 
elevating than these centuries of persecution. 



128 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 

92. We have briefly reviewed the first five hun- 
dred years of the church. We have followed its 
growth, step by step, from its germ at Jerusalem on 
Pentecost, ten days after Our Lord's ascension, until 
it was planted in all nations. 

We have seen that the church in \he very begin- 
ning had its hierarchy, bishops, priests, and deacons. 

We have beheld the small body of believers at 
Jerusalem becoming a great power everywhere. 
Their upright life, noble character and great charity 
were a revelation and wonder to the Pagans. 

We have seen Peter, that poor obscure priest, 
entering Rome, the imperial mistress of the world. 
Peter went about the emperor's throne preaching 
his Master's heavenly doctrine, performing many 
wonderful works and converting thousands of 
Caesar's subjects. 

With the conversions the persecutions began. 
During the first three hundred years there were ten 
cruel general persecutions. Millions of martyrs 
were sent to heaven for steadfast belief in Christ 
and His teachings. These early ages furnish the 
noblest examples of Christian virtues. These virtues 
they learned from the teaching of the church, cen- 
turies before the Bible was printed and generally 
diffused. 

During this time all the energies of that powerful 
empire which had conquered all the nations of the 
earth were directed against God's church. The 
church grew, strengthened and expanded, while that 



CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 129 

mighty colossus of an empire was destined soon to 
vanish from the earth. 

The church triumphed over all her enemies and 
persecutors. They are no more. She flourishes and 
will continue to flourish until the end of time. 

In contemplating the growth, teachings, trials, 
and triumphs of the early church, we cannot but be 
convinced of the truth, beauty, grandeur and anti- 
quity of the Catholic Church. For, as we have 
seen, the Catholic Church and the primitive church 
are identical. 

Let us, with Our Divine Saviour, pray that the 
grand old faith, which has won so many victories in 
the past, will continue her triumphs until all shall 
be in this " one fold of the one shepherd." 



APPENDIX. 



Important Events of the First Five 
Centuries of Christianity. 

A. D. 

1. Birth of Our Divine Saviour at Bethlehem. 
12. Finding the Child Jesus in the Temple. 
33. Jesus dies on the Cross. 

33. The Coming of the Holy Ghost. The beginning of the 
Christian Church. Peter's first sermon converts 
3,000. St. Paul's conversion. St. Stephen's mar- 
tyrdom. The apostles go as missionaries to all 
lands. 
39-40. St. Matthew writes his Gospel. — Disciples first called 
Christians at Antioch. 
51. The first council at Jerusalem. 

54-58. St. Paul preaches at Ephesus, Macedonia, Greece and 
other places. 

67. St. Peter and St. Paul martyred at Eome. 

70. Jerusalem destroyed by Titus. 

95. St. John the Evangelist is cast into a caldron of boiling 
oil and comes out uninjured. Banished to Patmos, 
where he writes the Apocalypse. 

107. St. Simeon, bishop of Jerusalem, put to death. 

117. Martyrdom of St. Ignatius, bishop of Antioch. 

202. St. Irenseus, bishop of Lyons, put to death. 

230. Martyrdom of St. Cecilia. 

250. St. Anthony, the first hermit, appears. 

131 



132 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EAELY CHURCH. 

A. D. 

306. The celibacy of the clergy made a fixed law by synod 
of Elvira. 

312. Victory of Constantine and end of "Age of Martyrdom." 

325. First General Council at Nice. 

361. Julian the Apostate becomes emperor. 

381. Second General Council at Constantinople. 

387. Death of St. Monica, mother of St. Augustine. 

390. St. Ambrose compels Emperor Theodosius to do penance 
for his crime. 

410. Rome is taken and plundered by Goths under Alaric. 

430. St. Augustine dies. Vandals invade Africa. 

431. Third General Council at Ephesus. 

432. St. Patrick converts the Irish people. 
440. Leo the Great becomes pope. 

449. Pope Leo meets Attila and saves Italy. 

451. Fourth General Council at Chalcedon. 

476. Fall of the Roman Empire in the West, under the 
Emperor Romulus Augustulus. 

496. Conversion and baptism of Clovis, the French king. 



The Following are the Popes of the First 
Five Centuries of Christianity : 

1. St. Peter who died in the year 67 

2. St. Linus " " 78 

3. St. Cletus " " 90 

4. St. Clement " " 100 

5. St. Anacletus, " " 112 

6. St. Evaristus " " 121 

7. St. Alexander " " 132 



CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 133 

8. St. Sixtus I who died in the year 142 

9. St. Telesphorus " " 154 

10. St. Hyginus " " 158 

11. St. Pius I " " 167 

12. St. Anicetus " " 175 

13. St. Soter " " 182 

14. St. Eleutherius " " 193 

15. St. Victor I " " 203 

16. St. Zephyrinus " " 220 

17. St. CalixtusI " " 227 

18. St. Urban I " " 233 

19. St. Pontian " " 238 

20. St. Anterus " " 239 

21. St. Fabian " " 253 

22. St. Cornelius " " 255 

23. St. Lucius I " " 257 

24. St. Stephen I " " 260 

25. St. Sixtus II " " 261 

26. St. Dionysius " " 272 

27. St. Felix I " " 275 

28. St. Eutychian " " 283 

29. St. Caius " " 296 

30. St. Marcellinus " " 304 

31. St. Marcellus I " " 309 

32. St. Eusebius " " 311 

33. St. Melchiades " " 314 

34. St. Sylvester I " " 337 

35. St. Marcus " " 340 

36. St. Julius I " " 352 

37. St. Liberius " " 363 

38. St. Felix II " " 365 



134 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 

39. St. Damasus who died in the year 384 

40. St. Siricius " " 398 

41. St. Anastasius I " " 402 

42. St. Innocent I " « 417 

43. St. Zozimus " " 418 

44. St. Boniface I " " 423 

45. St. Celestine I " " 432 

46. St. Sixtus III " " 440 

47. St. Leo I (the Great) " " 461 

48. St. Hilary " " 468 

49. St. Simplicius " « 483 

50. St. Felix III " " 492 

51. St. Gelasius " " 496 

52. St. Anastasius II " " 498 

53. St. Symmachus " " 514 

From the above list of pontiffs it will be seen that fifty-two 
successors of St. Peter ruled the Church of God during the 
first five centuries. Every one of these early pontiffs is a 
canonized saint, and nearly every one a martyr. 



The Following are the Emperors of Rome 
from Augustus to Constantine: 

1. Augustus who died in the year 14 

2. Tiberius " " 37 

3. Caligula " " 41 

4. Claudius " " 54 

5. Nero " " 68 



CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 135 

6. Galba, Otho and Vitellius who died in the year 69 

7. Vespasian , " " 79 

8. Titus " " 81 

9. Domitian " " 96 

10. Nerva " '« 98 

11. Trajan " " 117 

12. Adrian " M 138 

13. Antoninus " " 161 

14. Marcus Aurelius " " 180 

15. Commodus " " 192 

16. Pertinax " " 193 

17. Severus " " 211 

18. Caracalla " " 217 

19. Macrinus " " 218 

20. Heliogabalus " " 222 

21. Alexander " « 235 

22. Maximin I " " 238 

23. Two Gordians, Maximus Bal- 

binus and Gordian III " " 244 

24. Philip " " 249 

25. Decius " " 251 

26. Gallus " " 253 

27. Valerian " " 260 

28. Gallienus " " 268 

29. Claudius II " " 270 

30. Aurelian " " 275 

31. Tacitus " " 276 

32. Probus " " 282 

33. Carus " " 283 

34. Numerian " " 284 

35. Diocletian and Maximian abdicated in the year 305 



136 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 



36. Constantius Chlorus who died in the year 306 

37. Severus " " 307 

38. Galerius " " 311 

39. Maxentius n " 312 

40. Maximin " " 313 

41. Licinius in the East " " 324 

42. Constantine, the first Christian 

emperor " " 337 



List of Works Eead or Consulted. 



For the convenience of those who wish to investigate for 
themselves the matter presented in the foregoing pages, we 
give the following partial list of works read or consulted in its 
preparation : 

1. Addis and Arnold — A Catholic Dictionary. 

2. Alzog — Universal Church History. 

3. Botalla — The Supreme Authority of the Pope. 

4. Baart — The Roman Court. 

5. Brennan — Church History. 

6. Brueck — Church History. 

7. Butler — Lives of the Saints. 

8. Capel — Waterworth's — The Faith of Catholics. 

9. Crawford — Ave Roma Immortalis. 

10. Didon— Life of Christ. 

11. Farrar — Early Christianity. 

12. Milman — Gibbon's The Fall of the Roman Empire. 

13. " — History of Latin Christianity. 



CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 137 

14. Moxom — From Jerusalem to Nicsea. 

15. Myers — A General History. 

16. Newman — The Arians of the Fourth Century. 

17. Northcote — The Eoman Catacombs. 
IS. O'Brien— History of The Mass. 

19. O'Kane — Notes on the Eubrics. 

20. O'Reilly— The Martyrs of the Coliseum. 

21. Parsons — Studies in Church History. 

22. Sacrse Liturgiee Praxis — De Herdt. 

23. Salmon — The Ancient Irish Church. 

24. St. Augustine and other early Fathers. 

25. Wapelhorst — Compendium Sacrse Liturgise. 



REVIEW QUESTIONS. 



Chapter I. 



Who was emperor when Christ began his public life ? Where 
and when did St. Peter begin to preach the Gospel ? Who was 
first bishop of Antioch ? of Rome ? Give a sketch of the life 
of St. Peter. What was St. Paul called before his conversion ? 
Tell something of his life. Who first preached the Gospel in 
Spain ? Who was the first bishop of Lyons, France ? When 
did he die ? When was Christianity first preached in Ireland ? 
With what success ? Who was the first Christian emperor ? 

Chapter II. 

What is meant by the hierarchy ? Who was always con- 
sidered head of the church ? What was the division of the 
clergy even in Apostolic times ? What was the duty of bishops ? 
of priests ? of deacons ? How were bishops chosen in the early 
church ? 

Chapter III. 

Who, after the inspired writers, were the most important 
writers and fathers of the first century ? Who was Barnabas ? 
What did he write ? Who was author of the Pastor ? Tell 
something of the life and writings of Clement of Rome. What 
were the Apostolic Constitutions ? the Apostolic Canons ? Who 
were the principal writers of the second century ? Describe 

139 



140 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 

the life and writings of Ignatius. Who was Polycarp ? What 
did Justin Martyr write ? Who were the writers of the third 
century ? Tell something of the life and writings of Tertullian ; 
of Origen ; of Cyprian. Name the leading ecclesiastical wri- 
ters of the fourth century. Who was the great opponent of 
Arianism ? Who were the four great doctors of the western 
church ? of the eastern church ? For what is Ambrose noted? 
What do you know of Basil and his family ? Who were the 
great writers of the fifth century ? What is the best known 
work of Chrysostom ? Describe the life and writings of St. 
Augustine. What were the principal writings of Cyril of 
Alexandria ? 

Chapter IV. 

What did the Great Teacher promise ? What is a great 
consolation to a Catholic ? Why could not the church teach 
error? What does the church teach regarding the Bible? 
Who made the canon of Holy Scriptures ? What is meant by 
canon of Holy Scriptures ? Who authorized the list of Old 
Testament books ? Who in the early church gives a full list 
of the books of the Bible corresponding to the Catholic 
canon ? Name the books of the O. T. ; of the N. T. What 
books and parts of books are omitted by Protestants ? What 
did St. Augustine think about private interpretation of Scrip- 
ture ? What did the primitive church believe about the sacra- 
ments ? How many ? What about Baptism ? Confirmation ? 
Holy Eucharist ? Penance ? Extreme Unction ? Holy Orders ? 
Matrimony ? What sacramentals were known to the primitive 
church ? What did the early church teach concerning Purga- 
tory ? Indulgences? Invocation of saints? Honoring of 
relics ? Honoring the Blessed Virgin ? The Immaculate 
Conception? The supremacy and infallibility of the Pope? 



CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 141 

Chapter V. 

What does liturgy mean ? What is the center of Catholic 
worship ? Into what two parts was the commemoration of the 
last Supper divided in the early church ? What was the Mass 
of Catechumens ? Of what did the Mass proper consist ? 
W T hat were the three principal liturgies of primitive Chris- 
tianity? Describe each of them. How do they agree? What 
was the principle of Pope St. Celestine ? 

Chapter VI. 

What proof do the Roman Catacombs furnish ? What are 
the Catacombs? How many are there around Rome ? Describe 
them. What is their origin ? For what were they used by 
the early church ? What great man explored the Catacombs 
during the present century ? What Catholic doctrines do we 
find in the paintings and inscriptions of the Catacombs ? 
Which is the most famous Catacomb ? 

Chapter VII. 

What does creed mean ? What were the principal creeds of 
the early church ? Why is the Apostles' Creed so called ? 
What are the important truths contained in this creed ? Why 
is the Nicene Creed so called ? On what is this profession of 
faith based? Who drew up this creed? When was the creed 
of Constantinople formulated ? What is the principal differ- 
ence between this and the Nicene Creed ? What Creed is said 
every Sunday at Mass ? What do the words Filioque mean ? 
W r hen were they added to this creed ? What particular doc- 
trines are clearly taught by the Athanasian Creed ? 



142 CHAEACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 

Chapter VIII. 

When was the first Council of the Christian Church ? Who 
presided ? When was the Council of Nice ? How many 
bishops were present ? Who presided ? What question was 
decided ? When and where was the second ecumenical Council 
held ? When was the Council of Ephesus ? What heretic was 
condemned by it ? Where was the fourth general Council held ? 
When ? Who was condemned by it ? What did he teach ? 
By whom were all these Councils convoked ? 

Chapter IX. 

What was the first important heresy? Who was Simon 
Magus? Menander? Saturnine? Who were the Ebionites? 
TheDocetae? The Montanists ? What is meant by Manichse- 
ism ? Novatianism ? Samosatianism ? Donatism ? Arianism ? 
Pelagianism ? Nestorianism ? Eutychianism ? Who were the 
first persecutors of the Christians ? Under what ten emperors 
did the ten general persecutions take place ? 

Chapter X. 

What does Tertullian say about Peter, the first Pope ? Who 
succeeded St. Peter ? Who was the third Pope ? What did 
the early fathers believe concerning the Pope ? Who, after 
Peter, was the greatest Pope of the first five centuries ? Name 
one of St. Leo's great triumphs. Who was the first Christian 
martyr ? Describe his martyrdom. Who was St. Domatilla ? 
Tell the wonderful story of St. Eustachius. Describe the mar- 
tyrdom of St. Lawrence. For what was St. Cecilia noted ? 
Who was St. Agnes ? Describe the martyrdom of St. Pancra- 
tius. How do you prove that the Catholic Church and the 
primitive Church are identical ? 



INDEX. 



A. 

Absolution, 46. 

Acolyte, 18. 

Acts, 2, 13, 21, 76, describe 

manner of holding Divine 

service, 81 ; first Council at 

Jerusalem, 117. 
Adrian, 103. 
Aeterne rerum Conditor, St. 

Ambrose, author, 31. 
Africa, 3, 4, 35. 
Agnes, St., 17, 58, 126. 
Agnus Dei, 83. 
Alaric, 68. 
Alexander, 30, 84. 
Alexandria, 4, 27, 30, 84. 
Altar, 17. 
Ambrose, St., bishop of Milan, 

20, 28, 29, 31. 
Anacletus, 112. 
Andrew, St., apostle, 3. 
Anglo-Saxon, 9. 
Antoninus Pius, 26. 
Antioch, 3, 5, 7, 21, 24, 34. 
Antonio Bosio, 69. 
Apocalypse, 15. 
Apologeticus of Tertullian, 27. 
Apology, Justin Martyr, 26; 

Origen, 28. 
Apostles, 2, 13, 15, 20. 
Apostles' Creed, 74. 
Apostolic Age, 3, 14, 21. 
Apostolic Constitutions, 17, 23. 
Apostolic Canons, 23, 24, 48. 
Appian Way, 73. 
Archbishop, 15, 32. 
Areopagite, 6. 
Arianism, 84. 
Arians, 33. 



Arius, 76, 98 ; Controversy with 
Alexander, 10, 30, 98. 

Aries, 9. 

Ascension, 2, 7. 

Asia, 3, 5. 

Athanasian Creed, 79. 

Athanasius, principal opponent 
of Arius, 20, 29, 32, 77, 84. 

Athens, 6. 

Attila, king of the Huns, "the 
scourge of God," 114. 

Aurelius, Marcus, severe per- 
secutor of Christians, 104. 

Augustine, St., bishop of Hippo, 
20, 31, 34, 100. 

Augustine, St., apostle of Eng- 
land, 9. 

Auricular Confession practised 
in early church, 33. 

B. 

Baptism, 27, 32; regarded by 

early church as necessary to 

salvation, 41. 
Barnabas, St., companion of 

St. Paul, his epistle, 4, 6, 

20, 21. 
Basil, St., 20, 29, 32. 
Beroea, 13. 
Berytus, 3. 
Bible, 38. 

Bishop, 3, 6, 8, 12, 13, 18. 
Bithynia, 4. 
Blessed palm, candles, ashes 

and oils, 50. 
Blessed Virgin, 35, 69. 
Bread of Life, 17. 
Breviary, 79, 82. 
Britains, 9. 

143 



144 



INDEX. 



C. 

Caesar, 3. 

Caesar, Tiberius, 1. 

Callixtus, St., 67, 73. 

Canon of Scripture, 21, 39. 
" Mass, 58. 

Cappadocia, 7, 32. 

Carthage, 4, 26, 28, 38, 97. 

Catacombs, 65 ; number, 65 ; 
origin, 66 ; exploration, 69 ; 
inscriptions proof of Catho- 
lic doctrine, 72 ; used as 
cemeteries, 66 ; ancient art 
gallery, 70. 

Catechumens, 57. 

Catholic Church — divine, 11. 

Catholic Church and primitive 
church identical, 11, 36, 65, 
69, 129. 

Cecilia, St., 73, 125. 

Cecilius, 28. 

Celestine, St., Pope, 9, 10, 87. 

Celestius, 100. 

Celibacy of clergy ancient, 
29, 31. 

Celsus, 28. 

Cesarea, 6, 32. 

Cerinthus, heretic, 94. 

Choosing bishops, 15. 

Christ, 2, 13; our teacher, 
priest and king, 13. 

Christianity — golden age, 1 ; 
rapid propagation, 5, 11. 

Church and Bible, 38. 

Chrysostom, 20, 32, 34. 

Cilicia, 5. 

Circumcision, 83. 

Clemens, Flavius, 118. 

Clement of Home, fourth pope, 
20, 22, 110. 

Cletus, St., third pope, 22, 112. 

Clovis, king of France, 9. 

Colman, St., 46. 

Colossa, 3. 

Confession, 22, 45. 

Confession, St. Augustine, 35. 



Confirmation, 32, 42. 

Contrition, 45. 

Constantia, 98. 

Constant ine, first Christian em- 
peror, 10, 31, 98, 109. 

Constantius, 31. 

Constantinopolitan Creed, 77. 

Constitution of the Church, 12. 

Consubstantial, 85. 

Cordova, 8. 

Corinth, 22. 

Corinthians, Ep. of Clement 
to, 22. 

Council of Jerusalem, 6, 8, 83. 
" First Gen. of Nice, 10, 
15, 30, 84. 

Council, Second Gen. of Con- 
stantinople, 10, 77, 85. 

Council, Third Gen. of Ephe- 
sus, 10, 86. 

Council, Fourth Gen. of Chal- 
cedon, 89. 

Credo, 74, 86. 

Creed, Apostles', 74. 
" Nicene, 76. 
" Constantinopolitan, 77. 
" Athanasian, 79. 

Creation, 32. 

Crete, 6, 14. 

Cyprian, St., bishop of Car- 
thage, 4, 8, 14, 16, 20, 28, 
43, 97. 

Cyprus, 4, 6, 20, 21. 

Cyril, St., bishop of Alexan- 
dria, 10, 20, 30, 35, 87, 100. 

D. 

Damasus, St., pope, 68. 

Damascus, 5. 

Deacon, 12; duties, etc., 18. 

Decius, 106. 

Deus Creator omnium, 31. 

De Rossi, great modern anti- 
quarian and explorer of 
Catacombs, 66, 69, 72. 

Diocletian, 107. 



INDEX. 



145 



Dionysius, 6. 

Discipline of the secret, 43. 

Divine Office, 82. 

Doctors of Eastern ( Ihurch, 33. 

Doctors of Western Church, 30. 

Domatilla, St., 118. 

Dominus vobiscum, 57. 

Domitian, 107. 

Donatus, 97. 

E. 

Ebionites, 94. 

Ecumenical Council at Nice, 

84 ; at Constantinople, 85 ; 

at Ephesus, 86; at Chal- 

cedon, 89. 
Edessa, 4. 
Elvira, 8. 
Ephesus, 3, 6, 25. 
Egypt, 4. 
Episcopacy, 15. 
Episcopus, 14. 
Eucharist, Holy, 43. 
Euodius, bishop of .Antioch, 3. 
Europe, 3. 
Eusebius, church historian, 23, 

36, 108. 
Eusebius, Pope, 73. 
Eustachius, St., 119. 
Eutyches, 100. 
Eutychius, 40. 
Exorcist, 18. 
Extreme Unction, 46. 

F. 

Fasting, 32. 

Fathers and Writers, 20. 

Felicitas, St., 123. 

Filioque, 77, 78. 

Flavian, letter of Leo I. to, 89. 

Flavian amphitheater, 25. 

France, 8, 15. 

Free Will, 22, 35. 



Gaul, 31. 



G. 



10 



Galerius, 108. 
Galilee, 7. 
Gamaliel, 5. 
Genesareth, 13. 
Gentiles, 3, 5, 11. 
Gloria in excelsis, 57. 
Gnostic — knowing, 93. 
Gnosticism, 93. 
Graduate, 57. 
Gospel, 2, 3, 4, 57. 
Greece, 6. 
Greek Schism, 79. 
Gregory Nazianzen, 30, 32. 
Gregory the Great, 9, 31. 
Gregory of Nyssa, 33. 
Gregory Thaumaturgus, 3, 36, 
76. 

H. 

Heresies, included by Paul 
among the most grievous 
sins, 92. 
Heresies, Gnosticism, 92; Si- 
mon Magus, 93. 
Heresies, the father of heresy, 

94. _ 
Heresies, Menander, 93; Sat- 
urnine, 93. 
Heresies, Cerinthus, 94. 

" Ebionites, 94. 

" Docetse, 94. 

" Montanists, 95. 

" Manichseism, 96. 

" Novatianism, 96. 

" Samosatianism, 97. 

" Donatism, 97. 

" Arianism, 98. 

" Anomceians, 99. 

" Semi-Arians, 99. 

" Pelagianism, 99. 

" Nestorianism, 100. 

" Eutychianism, 100. 

Hermas, the Pastor, 20, 22. 
Hexapla, 28. 
Hermogenes, 27. 
Hierapolis, 3. 
Hippo, 35. 



146 



INDEX. 



Hierarchy, 12, 19. 
Holy Communion, 35, 58. 
Holv Eucharist, 24, 25, 32, 35. 
Holy Ghost, 3, 8, 19. 
Holy oils, 50. 
Holy Orders, 25, 47. 
Holy Water, 50. 
Honoring Relics, 53. 
" Saints, 53. 

" the Blessed Virgin, 

54. 
Holy Ghost, 37. 
Holy Trinity, 35. 
Hosius, bishop of Cordova, 

presided at Council of Nice 

as papal representative, 10, 

84. 

I. 

Iconium, 13. 

Ignatius, St., bishop of An- 

tioch, 3, 14, 15, 19, 20, 24. 
Immaculate Conception, 54. 
Incarnation, 30. 
Infallibility of the Pope, 54. 
Irenseus, St., 8, 15, 25, 76. 
Indulgences, 52. 
Invocation of saints and 

angels, 53. 
Ireland, 9. 
Island of Saints, 9. 
Ite Missa est, 58. 

J. 

James, St., bishop of Jerusa- 
lem, 3, 15, 20. 

Jerome, St., 31, 36. 

Jerusalem, 2, 3. 

Jews, 5, 6, 11, 21, 27, 101. 

John, St., the apostle, 20, 22, 
25, 45. 

Judas, 7. 

Judea, 7. 

Julian, 31. 

Justin Martyr, 20, 24, 26. 



K. 
Kyrie Eleison, 57. 

L. 

Lactantius, 36, 108. 

Laodicea, 3. 

Last Supper, 57. 

Lawrence, St., 124. 

Leon, 8. 

Leo the Great, 89, 113. 

Leo XIIL, 4. 

Legem credendi lex statuit 

supplicandi, 64. 
Liberius, 33. 

Linus, St., second pope, 22, 111. 
Lincoln, 9. 
London, 9. 
Lombards, 68. 
Liturgy, 56, 59. 
Liturgy of St. James, 59. 
St. Mark, 60. 

" St. Peter, 62. 

" St. Basil, 62. 

" St. Chrysostom, 62. 

" St. Ambrose, 62. 

" Mozarabic, 62. 

Luke, St., 21. 
Lyons, 8, 9, 15. 
Lystra, 13. 

M. 

Macedonia, 6. 
Magnesia, 25. 
Magi, 71. 

Magus, Simon, 93. 
Mamertine prison, 6. 
Manes, 96. 
Manichaeism, 96. 
Marchi, Father, S. X, 69. 
Marcus Aurelius, 26. 
Mark, St., 4, 5. 

Mass, 17,32,34,35,56,64,114. 
" of the Catechumens, 57. 



INDEX. 



147 



Mathias, 7. 

Matthew, St., 20. 

Matrimony, 48. 

Maximin, 105. 

Menander, 93. 

Milan, 31. 

Melohites, 60. 

Meletius, 34. 

Mesopotamia, 4. 

Minor Orders, 13, 18. 

Monks, Basilian, 33. 

Monica, St., mother of St. 

Augustine, 35. 
Montanus, 95. 
Monophysite, 60, 101. 
Mysteries, 32. 

N. 

Nero, 7, 102. 
Nestorians, 64. 
Nestorius, 10, 86, 100. 
New Testament, 1, 40. 
Nicea, 4. 

Nicene Creed, 76, 85. 
Northcote, Dr., 66. 
Northern barbarians, 109. 
Novatian, first anti-pope, 96. 
Novatianism, 96. 

O. 

Octapla, 28. 

Offertory, 58. 

Old Testament, 39. 

Organization of church, 12. 

Origen, 16, 20, 27. 

Ostian road, 7. 

Ostiary, 18. 

P. 

Pagans, 5. 
Palestine, 1, 37. 
Paradise, 32. 
Pancratius, St., 127. 
Pastor, the, of Hermas, 22. 
Pater Noster, 58. 



Paul, St., apostle of the Gen- 
tiles, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 13, 20, 
21, 34. 
Paul of Samosata, 97. 
Patmos, 102. 
Patrick, St., 9. 
Pelagius, 99. 
Penance, 17, 24, 45. 
Persecution, 10, 56. 
Persecutions, Jews' first per- 
secutors, 101. 
Persecutions, first general, un- 
der Nero, 102. 
Persecutions, second general, 

under Domitian, 102. 
Persecutions, third general, un- 
der Trajan, 103. 
Persecutions, fourth general, 

under Adrian, 103. 
Persecutions, fifth general, un- 
der M. Aurelius, 104. 
Persecutions, sixth general, un- 
der S. Severus, 105. 
Persecutions, seventh general, 

under Maximin, 105. 
Persecutions, eighth general, 

under Decius, 106. 
Persecutions, ninth general, 

under Valerian, 107. 
Persecutions, tenth general, un- 
der Diocletian, 107. 
Peter, St., first pope, 3, 4, 6, 7, 
8, 111 ; chief bishop, 7, 14, 20. 
Peter has spoken through Leo, 

89,91. 
Pharisees, 5. 
Phenicia, 3. 
Philippians, 25. 
Photius, 79. 
Phrygia, 3. 
Placidus, 120. 
Pliny, 4. 

Polycarp, St., 15, 20, 24, 25, 104. 
Pope, 15, 18. 
Preface of Mass, 58. 
Priesthood, On the, by St. 
Chrysostom, 34. 



148 



INDEX. 



Primitive Christianity, 47. 
Pretextatus, Catacomb, 67. 
Prayer, 28. 
Principles, 28. 
Priest, 6, 12, 16. 
Primacy of Peter, 8, 14. 
Propagation of Church, 1, 11. 
Ptolemais, 3. 
Purgatory, 22, 51. 

Q. 

Quicumque Vult, 79. 

E. 

Reader, or lector, one of the 

minor orders, 18. 
Real Presence, 64. 
Resurrection, 23, 27. 
Roman Empire, 1. 
Roman Catacombs, 56, 65. 
Rome, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 25. 
Romulus Augustulus, the last 

of the emperors of the West, 

109. 

S. 

Sacramentals, 49. 

Sacraments, 19, 32, 41. 

Sacred Scripture, 37, 38. 

Salamis, 21. 

Samaria, 26. 

Samosata, 3, 97. 

Satisfaction, 45. 

Saturnine, 93. 

Saul, 5. 

Scripture, 1, 4, 21, 32. 

Seleucia, 3, 21. 

Severus, Septimius, 105. 

Sidon, 3. 

Sign of the Cross, ancient, 50. 

Simony, 93. 

Sixtus I., St., 125. 

Sixtus II., Pope, 67. 

Spain, 6, 8. 



Smyrna, 3, 25, 104. 
Stephen, St., first martyr, 5, 116. 
Subdeacon, 13, 18, 
Supreme pastor, the pope, 27. 
Supremacy of Pope, 54. 
Sylvester, Pope, 10, 84, 99. 
Symphorosa, St., martyr, 
Syria, 3, 21. 
Syriac, 60. 

T. 

Tagaste, 35. 

Tarragona, 8. 

Tarsus, 5. 

Tertullian, 5, 14, 16, 20, 26, 

41, 76. 
Theodosius, 32, 85. 
Theban Legion, 108. 
Tiberius Csesar, 1. 
Timothy, 15. 
Thomas, St., 3. 
Titus, 13, 15, 102. 
Toledo, 8. 
Trajan, 22, 103. 
Transubstantiation, 64. 
Tralles, 25. 
Trinity, 30, 35. 
Tripolis, 3. 
Tyre, 3, 27. 

U. 

Utrecht Psalter, 79. 

V. 

Valens, 31. 
Vespasian, 102. 
Valentinian, 32. 
Virginity, 30. 
Valerian, 67. 
Vienne, 8. 
Vatican, 10. 
Viaticum, 35. 



York, 9. 



REASONABLENESS 

OF 



Catholic Ceremonies and Practices 



By Rev. J. J. BURKE. 



Of this book The Dublin Review says: ". . . . Clergymen 
having converts to instruct will find this book exceedingly 
useful. It is admirable for brevity and clearness. Points 
known already come out more distinctly in these pages, and 
all the subjects are set forth in a manner to bring home to 
the heart of every dispassionate reader the truths that underlie 
the ceremonies and practices of the Infallible Bride of Christ." 

Eliza A. Starr, in The Chicago Catholic Home : " . . ; . The 
book should go into the pocket of every young man and 
young woman, helping them to set a right judgment on the 
practice of a church in which nothing is too small to involve 
a hint of the divine perfection of its author or source, and to 
demand an intelligent observance." 

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Catholic Union and Times: "Should be in hands of every 
Catholic." 

London Month : " It will do good to those into whose hands 
it may fall." 

Ave Maria: "An excellent explanation of many points con- 
cerning which some faithful have not the most lucid ideas, 
and of which most non-Catholics know nothing whatever." 



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